Date:07/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/07/stories/2007060708690300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Peasants occupy 450 acres

Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR: Peasants led by leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) occupied about 450 acres of Government land in survey number 530 at Ratigutta near Kuderu in the district on Wednesday. They removed thorny bushes, posted party flags and ploughed the land.

District secretary of the party G. Obulakonda Reddy led the `Bhoo poratam' there and also tilled the land. Peasants from Kuderu, Kalagalla, Jallipalli, Aravakuru and Antaraganga villages participated in the land struggle.

Revenue officials of the mandal arrived at the site and objected to the taking over of the land by protesters terming it as illegal. The officials told the CPI(M) leaders and peasants that it was illegal to post party flags and plough the land and they would have to face criminal cases. The peasants told the revenue officials that they were ready to face the cases but not ready to leave the land. However, no police was arrived at the scene till evening. State secretary of Girijana Samkshema Sangham Sriram Naik, Ranganayakulu, Nagesh, Eerappa, Jellappa, Sreeramulu, Mallikarjuna and Ramakrishna led the peasants.