Farmers Protested On River Krishna: 'Save Amaravati’

Amaravati’s farmer protest reached the 75th day on Sunday. The farmers have been agitating for the last two-and-half months against the AP government's decision to set up 3 capitals and shift the executive capital to Visakhapatnam. They have been demanding that Amaravati alone should remain as the capital of the State.

On the 75th day, the farmers protested on River Krishna holding placards 'Save Amaravati’. Farmers gathered at a protesting place at Undavalli village on Sunday. People from all walks of life have participated in these peaceful agitations.

On the other hand, the Amaravati JAC leaders have organized a cycle rally from Guntur to Thullur in which hundreds of the people participated.

Women and aged people also took part in the protests in all twenty-nine villages including Venkatayapalem, Rayapudi, Velagapudi, Mangalagiri, Tadepalli and other villages in Amaravati region.

Objecting to the proposal of the government to distribute capital lands as house sites to the farmers, Guntupalli Srinivas, a member of the JAC, said that when the lands were taken from the farmers, the government assured that it will construct a capital city. So, the land prices would rise and the farmers will benefit from the development of the capital city. But now the government was deliberately destroying the image of Amaravati, he criticized.

He said that if the government was serious about distributing lands to the poor for house sites, then it could allot them in the fringe areas of Guntur town, instead of in Amaravati.

He explained that the government of AP decided to allocate lands in Amaravati to the poor representing Pedakakani and Duggirala mandals. But they could be given lands in Guntur town. Even in the Mangalagiri area also the government lands are available, he added.