The Communist Party of India (Marxist), in a release on Wednesday, alleged that the party’s Chennekothapalli secretary Linganna was taken into custody by the Ramagiri police for avoiding questions posed to him regarding land acquisition for three upcoming reservoirs.
The reservoirs will be built in Muttala, Thopudurthi and Devarakonda in drought-prone Anantapur district under the YSR Upper Penna project, for which Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually laid the foundation stone on Wednesday.
The CPI(M) alleged that Mr. Linganna was picked up from his house at 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
The CPI(M) said that the government was yet to initiate talks with the farmers and other land- and house-owners in Venkatampalli in Ramagiri mandal, where they are likely to lose their property due to inundation. The party also claimed that the compensation amount was not negotiated upon before the foundation stone was laid by the Chief Minister.
Under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, the State government, through the district administration, should hold a grama sabha and explain the area likely to be inundated and the amount of compensation they are likely to get before grounding the project, the release said.
“Only if 90% of the landowners agree to the compensation and part with their land, can the government acquire the remaining 10%,” it added. “No such effort has been made and all farmers are in the dark,” it alleged.
