VISAKHAPATNAM:  Tension prevailed at Pinagadi village in Pendurthy mandal when irate farmers tried to obstruct revenue officials who visited the village to take possession of 32 acres encroached land near the Veenavani  water tank. This resulted in Pendurthy police taking 40 farmers into custody for obstructing the officials from discharging their duties. 

They also took former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, former MLA Gandi Babji and former ZPTC Reddy Narayana, who reached the village to extend solidarity to the agitating farmers, into custody. All the arrested persons were released later in the evening, the police said.Unable to hide his resentment, Satyanarayana Murthy said it was unfortunate that the State government was trying to take the land from farmers who were cultivating for the past 70 years. The land was being forcibly taken by the government for housing programme, he said. The government would do well to identify government land waste land for its pet project housing scheme, he added. This apart, 400 square yards land as promised under GO 72 was also not being given to farmers.

Meanwhile, Joint Collector M Venugopala Reddy told TNIE that the officials were evicting people from encroached lands as part of the drive against encroachment. Besides the land was not part of the landpooling, he said.Venugopala Reddy said landpooling process was going on smoothly in the district. Grama sabhas were held in 55 villages in 10 mandals to acquire 6,116 acres under landpooling. The areas were divided into 58 clusters for administrative convenience, he said, adding that landpooling process in 35 clusters was completed. He hoped that the process will be completed smoothly in the remaining clusters also.