AP acquires 3000 acres land from farmers for capital city

Vijayawada, Jan 10: Andhra Pradesh government has till date acquired at least 2,500 to 3,000 acres of land from farmer in Guntur district for the development of the new capital city. Disclosing this information to media persons here on Saturday, AP Information and Public Relations Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said farmers in Thullur and neighbouring villages had givine up their lands voluntarily. In return, the farmers are likely to get a portion of their land in near future," said the minister. Raghunatha Reddy refuted opposition claims that district officials have been coercing farmers to part with their lands. Later, the minister said the state government will be celebrating Sankranti as a 'state festival'. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is expected to kick start the festival at Tirupati on January 13.