Tensions Erupt as Farmers Protest CRDA Action
Tension prevailed in Undavalli village, located within the Amaravati Capital Region, after farmers alleged that officials of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) entered their agricultural fields with excavators (JCBs) and destroyed standing crops. Farmers expressed strong anger, accusing the authorities of forcibly taking away their livelihood by attempting to acquire their lands without consent.
As farmers tried to stop the officials from entering their fields, the situation turned tense. Allegations also surfaced that police forcibly removed protesting farmers, including women, leading to heated arguments and confrontations between the police and local residents.
Jagan Slams Chandrababu Government
Reacting strongly to the incident, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned the government’s actions through a post on X (formerly Twitter). He described the events in Undavalli as a “state-sponsored atrocity” against farmers.
Jagan alleged that despite farmers making it clear they were unwilling to part with the only land that sustains their families, the government ignored their concerns and deployed police forces to facilitate the entry of bulldozers into agricultural fields, resulting in the destruction of standing crops.
“Small Farmers Are Losing Their Only Livelihood”
Jagan stated that most of the affected families are small and marginal farmers whose entire livelihood depends on these agricultural lands. He said their children’s education and family income are directly linked to these fields.
He questioned how the affected families would survive if their lands were taken away, accusing the government of silencing farmers through police force instead of addressing their concerns.
He also demanded to know who would compensate farmers for the destroyed crops and questioned who had authorized the government to destroy their means of livelihood.
Questions Over Fresh Land Acquisition
The former Chief Minister questioned why the government was once again seeking additional land after already acquiring thousands of acres earlier for the Amaravati capital project.
According to Jagan, preparing acquisition plans and taking over land without farmers’ consent or fully disclosing project details is neither fair nor legally justified.
Questions Raised Over Beneficiaries
Jagan further questioned the government’s intentions behind attempting to acquire valuable agricultural land located close to Vijayawada and along the National Highway at what he described as lower valuations.
He asked whether the real beneficiaries of the acquisition would be the farmers or individuals linked to those in power.
Demand to Stop Forced Acquisition
Warning that attempts to forcibly seize farmers’ lands would not be tolerated, Jagan asserted that land should be acquired only if farmers voluntarily agree to part with it. He said using police force to take over agricultural land is against democratic principles.
Compensation and Protection for Farmers
Jagan demanded that the Chandrababu Naidu government immediately halt what he described as forced land acquisition activities in Undavalli and provide full compensation for the crops that were allegedly destroyed.
He emphasized that not even a single cent of land should be acquired without the consent of farmers and assured that the YSR Congress Party would stand by farmers in protecting their land rights.
