Farmers oppose Pattiseema project, ask Govt to complete Polavaram first

Hyderabad, March 13, 2015: After pushing the Tullur area farmers into a corner for its capital city construction, the AP Government has set is eyes on the agricultural lands of 19 villages falling with in the limits of Polavaram Project's right canal. As the Government is in a hurry to complete the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation project to circumvent the Godavari River waters to Krishna at Prakasam barrage through a linking canal and through Pulichintala, farmers are objecting to the project and refusing to hand over their agricultural lands to complete the linking canal. Farmers of 19 villages in Bapulapadu, Gannavaram, Agiripally and Nuziveedu Mandals of Krishna district and two villages of WG district have filed court cases bringing the digging works of the canal to a grinding halt. The farmers of Kavvagunta and Pedavegi villages have also refused to hand over their fertile lands for the linking canal and approached courts along with the Krishna district farmers. Because of the legal complications, the Polavaram right canal could not be completed in these villages in an area extending up to 1222 acres. However, the Government is in a hurry to complete the Rs.1300 Cr Patti Seema lift irrigation scheme to take the Godavari water to Krishna delta. The Government has now come forward to offer a compensation of Rs. 25 lakh per acre. But the farmers are refusing to part with their lands and have started protest demonstrations. They are asking the Government to complete the Polavaram project first and then think of the Pattiseema works.