Jagan warns Andhra govt for 'coercive' land acquisition in Amaravati

Amaravati, Jul 11 (PTI) YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday warned the Andhra Pradesh government to stop alleged "coercive" land acquisition in the greenfield capital city of Amaravati. The former chief minister's warning comes in the backdrop of some videos going viral on Saturday, in which police were seen allegedly dragging farmers away from their fields in Undavalli village and bulldozers "destroying their crops". "We once again warn this government. Chandrababu Naidu must immediately stop all coercive land acquisition activities taking place in the capital region. The government must pay full compensation for the crops that have been destroyed," said Jagan in a post on X. The opposition leader underscored that they will not remain silent if the government "forcibly grabs farmers' lands, throws them onto the streets and destroys their lives." If a farmer voluntarily agrees to give up his or her land, the government may proceed accordingly, but allegedly using police force, destroying standing crops, dragging farmers away from their fields, and forcibly taking their land is completely wrong and cannot be justified under any circumstances, he said. "Not even a single cent of land should be acquired without the consent of the farmers. The YSR Congress Party will stand firmly with the farmers in their fight to protect their rights," said Jagan. "I strongly condemn the alleged brutal actions carried out by the Chandrababu Naidu government against farmers in Undavalli in the name of Amaravati capital," he said. Despite farmers making it "unequivocally clear that they are unwilling to give up their land," which serves as the sole source of livelihood for their families, the YSRCP chief claimed that the government refused to even hear their views or objections. Instead, it deployed a heavy police force, sent bulldozers into their fields, and destroyed standing crops, the former CM alleged. "Forcibly dragging farmers out of their own fields, intimidating them, and taking over their land through coercion is utterly inhuman and unacceptable," he said. According to Jagan, most of the affected are small and marginal farmers, whose few acres of land were the only source of income for their families. It is through that land that they educate their children, sustain their households with the crops they cultivate, he observed. When these farmers ask, "How are we supposed to survive if our land is taken away?" the government has no answer, Jagan claimed. Instead, it is using police force to silence their voices; this reflects the height of the Chandrababu Naidu government's authoritarianism, he alleged. "What will happen to the investments these farmers have already made in their crops? Who will compensate them for the crops that have been destroyed? Who has given this government the authority to destroy the very livelihood of farmers?" Jagan asked. Underscoring that thousands of acres of land were already acquired in the name of the capital, Jagan quizzed why the TDP-led coalition government is once again allegedly "chasing farmers for more land?" "Why is it deploying the police against them? Is it fair to prepare plans for acquiring farmers' land without their consent, claim that compensation awards have been finalised on paper, and proceed with unilateral acquisition without even informing the affected farmers of the details?" said Jagan. Noting that Undavalli lands are not remote or low-value lands, the opposition leader underlined that they are highly valuable properties located just minutes away from Vijayawada, adjacent to the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway, and the adjoining urban limits of Tadepalli. These lands command enormous market value, he said, questioning on what basis the government has fixed "arbitrarily low compensation and decided to take over these lands without the consent of the farmers?" "Whose interests are being served through this exercise? After taking away these lands from farmers, to whom does the government ultimately intend to hand them over?" he asked. Further, he questioned if the real beneficiaries were the farmers or "Naidu's chosen associates?" Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from TDP. PTI STH ADB