K. Chandrasekhar Rao | Photo Credit: ATUL YADAV
In a repeat of what turmeric farmers did to BRS leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha in the 2019 Parliament elections, farmers from Kamareddy constituency have threatened to make the contest difficult for Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao by filing nominations against him.
The Joint Action Committee of farmers losing their lands in the Kamareddy Municipality Draft Master Plan have warned that more than 100 farmers would file nominations unless the Chief Minister announces the withdrawal of the Master Plan that takes away their agriculture lands. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao is seeking election from Kamareddy constituency in the Nizamabad district apart from his own constituency Gajwel in Siddipet district in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The Master Plan draft will affect seven villages — Lingapur, Pekral, Ilchipur, Vadlur Yella Reddy, Rameshwar Palli, Patha Rajampeta, Sarampalli that were merged in the Kamareddy municipality and hundreds of acres of agriculture land is likely to be acquired by the government as per the plan. Though the plan has been kept in abeyance after protests, farmers feel it will be approved once the elections are over.
The affected farmers held a grama sabha at Lingapur and Rameshwar Palli and decided to file nominations against the Chief Minister to get their issue highlighted. “Similar meetings will be conducted in all the affected villages in the next two days and we will not budge unless the draft plan is abolished,” says Bandari Ram Reddy, a farmer losing his lands in Lingapur village.
The farmers claim that the draft master plan was actually prepared without even informing them and they realised only when the survey numbers were inserted in a flex displayed at the municipal office. Even the municipal councillors were unaware and they had to resign fearing public backlash. The plan was put in abeyance for the time being.
What angered the farmers was the recent comments reportedly made by Municipal Minister K.T. Rama Rao, that the master plan was not shelved but temporarily stopped, and it would be adopted and implemented once the elections were over.
“These statements frightened us and we are not willing to lose nearly 2,000 acres just because the government wants to take away our lands,” says Mr. Ram Reddy and Cherolla Rajender, another farmer. Their argument is that a similar master plan for Jagityal town was shelved after protests.
The farmers also allege the involvement of some real estate players belonging to the ruling party in targeting their villages to safeguard and enhance their land values. “We are normal farmers and we want to trigger a debate without any political motives,” Mr. Ram Reddy said.
Interestingly, KCR’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha had to face a similar farmers’ protest when more than 150 turmeric farmers contested against her in the 2019 Parliament elections from Nizamabad. The demand was for the constitution of a Turmeric Board and remunerative prices for turmeric farmers. They polled about 90,000 votes in that election, while Ms. Kavitha lost by 70,000 – odd votes.
