The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Wednesday accused the State government of forcibly acquiring the land of farmers who were tilling it for several years, in 10 mandals of the district, under the Land Pooling Scheme.
Addressing a press meet on Wednesday, CPI(M) district committee secretary K. Lokanadham, treasurer G. Nayana Babu and president Ganta Sriram said that the farmers had opposed the acquisition of their land and expressed their reservations in Form-2. The State government had, however, insisted on acquisition, forcing the victims to approach the High Court and obtain a stay order.
They alleged that the State government, however, did not give up and was issuing threats through the officials to make them surrender their lands. The CPI(M) leaders said it was surprising that the State government has declared that the land would be utilised to provide houses and sites to the poor. A majority of the land losers were Dalits and weaker sections. They wondered as to how social justice could be achieved by acquiring land from the poor and giving it to them.
They recalled that the YSRCP, when it was in the Opposition, had vehemently protested against the LPS but was now resorting to the same in Visakhapatnam. They wondered as to how far the VMRDA was justified in acquiring lands without paying any compensation to the poor farmers.
