Andhra Pradesh - Nellore   

MP seeks justice for Dalit farmers

NELLORE: Even as the government was saying that wet lands were not being allotted for industries, the officials were acquiring fertile lands on the pretext of industrialisation in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, and the farmers were thrown on roads.

“This is an example on how the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) allegedly cheated the SC and ST farmers by forcibly taking their lands for setting up a cement brick manufacturing industry. Though the industry requires less than five acres for setting up the unit, the officials forcibly took some 40 acres from the Dalit farmers”, said the Tirupati MP Chinta Mohan, who visited the village on Monday.

According to the MP, the farmers were enjoying the assigned land on the bank of Swarnamukhi river, in Jyotsulavari Kandriga village in Ozili mandal in the district for the past 50 years. Recently, the brick industry management along with some officials met the farmers and said the land was allotted for the brick manufacturing unit.

When the farmers refused to give their lands, the industry officials brought some policemen to the village and threatened to file cases against them. They allegedly took the thump impressions of some farmers on empty bond papers and said the land was acquired for the industry.

The MP who was moved by the farmers' plight met Collector B. Sreedhar on Monday and submitted a representation. Speaking to ‘The Hindu', a farmer Gadi Venkataiah, who lost land in Jyotsulavari Kandriga village said the brick industry management took our lands with the help of police. The MP threatened to launch an agitation.

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