Date:23/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/23/stories/2007062353190300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Peasants occupy forestland

Staff Reporter

‘Farmers cultivating forestland not being given pattas’

ANANTAPUR: A hundred peasant families led by Bhadrachalam Member of Parliament and State president of Girijana Sangham M. Babu Rao occupied 500 acres of forestland near Palyam thanda in Pamidi mandal of the district on Friday.

The peasants and CPI(M) leaders engaged themselves in clearing the bushes on the land even as it was raining heavily.

Mr. Babu Rao pointed out that the Government was not giving pattas to the poor who had been cultivating the forestlands for a long period.

He asked the Government to issue patta to every cultivator of forestland.

Poor being jailed

State secretary of Andhra Pradesh Vyvasaya Karmika Sangham Venkateswarlu suggested that every poor family should be given five acres of assigned land by resuming lakhs of acres lying in illegal possession of the influential persons.

District secretary of CPI (M) G. Obulakonda Reddy alleged that the Government was sending to jail the poor who agitated for house sites and land for cultivation.

Stir to be intensified

The party would intensify the land struggle and would ensure that all eligible poor got house sites and land for cultivation.