Date:19/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/19/stories/2007111953180300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rs. 5 lakh per acre sought for Singur project oustees

Staff Reporter

TRS in collaboration with CPI organise mass hunger strike

SANGAREDDY: Telangana Rashtra Samithi has demanded Rs. 5 lakh compensation in lieu of each acre the farmers would forgo for the construction of twin canals of Singur project. The party in collaboration with the Medak district committee of Communist Party of India on Sunday organised mass hunger strike in front of the Jogipet tahasildar’s office protesting the delay in the completion of the project and for a better compensation package for the farmers.

Addressing the gathering TRS district president M.Raghunandan Rao pointed out that the State Government was not in a position to complete a small project like the Bagareddy Singur canal project even after three and half years of its rule in the State.

He questioned as to why the local legislator and the State Education Minister Damodar Rajnarsimha was unable to complete the project while the same person had organized 102 days of relay hunger strikes in Jogipet for Singur water during the TDP regime. Raghunandan demanded the resignation of Education Minister.

District general secretary Palle Sanjeevaiah who has demanded employment to at least one person in every family that would lose land for the project, said that the Government should have sought the opinion of the local villagers before embarking on the project. TRS state vice president Malyala Rajaiah; district general secretaries Srikanth Goud and Beeriah Yadav were also present.