Land Pooling: Angry farmers to organise 'Chalo Delhi' programme against AP govt

Vijayawada, Dec 18: Hundreds of aggrieved farmers from the Andhra Pradesh capital region are making arrangements to go to New Delhi to seek the support of leaders of various political parties for their fight against the draconian land pooling scheme being implemented by the state government for the construction of a new capital city. The farmers propose to organise a 'Chalo Delhi' programme either in the last week of December or third week of January next year. The farmers, who belong to 29 villages under Mangalagiri, Thulluru and Tadepalli mandals, have been fighting against AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's land pooling proposal, under which the government would take away their fertile lands. These farmers, who live in villages on the right bank of Krishna river, raise two to three crops on their lands in any given year and they have been urging Chandrababu to acquire the dry lands that are rain-fed. With the state government firming its stand on acquiring the lands on the river front, the farmers are rejecting the compensation packages being offered by the state government. Meanwhile, the Krishna Delta Parirakshana Samithi has extended its help to the agitating farmers and former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao is expected to join the farmers on their trip to Delhi. The farmers are also likely to meet social activists like Anna Hazare and Medha Patkar in addition to meeting Prime Minister Nadendra Modi and central ministers to brief them on the contentious issue of land pooling.