Andhra Pradesh

Many families evicted in early morning drive

Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

Amidst ruins: A man trying to stack the palm leaves at a demolished house at Adavitakkalapadu near Guntur on Thursday. —

GUNTUR: Tense moments prevailed at Adavitakkalapadu in Guntur rural limits on Thursday, when a strong posse of the police and revenue officers forcibly evicted hundreds of families using earthmovers residing on a large patch of assigned land. More than 30 activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who offered resistance, were taken into custody.

Trouble began when a battery of the police and revenue officials, led by Revenue Divisional Officer S. Venkata Subbaiah and Rural DSP B.R.N. Tagore, numbering some 200, reached the village located on the outskirts of the town early in the morning. They began dismantling the thatched houses with the help of JCB poclainers. They were offered stiff resistance by hundreds of families, who have been residing in the area for the last six months.

The party workers, led by district secretary D. Rama Devi, reached the venue and had heated arguments with the officials over the sudden action. She pleaded with the police to let them stay till they were provided an alternative site. The police then arrested Ms. Rama Devi and other leaders.

Mr. Venkata Subbaiah said that the 100-acre patch of assigned land had already been allotted to beneficiaries of Indiramma scheme. Stating that the encroachment of the assigned land was illegal, he said that the district administration would include the names of displaced persons in the Indiramma fourth phase and allot them house sites.

Meanwhile, life for the families that were displaced would never be same again. Most of them were daily labourers who work in the neighbouring cotton fields and ginning mills. They were living in thatched houses with no water supply and power for the last six months and with the only hope that they would be allotted a house site.

“We are shocked by the sudden development. We have been living here for the last six months after the party assured that we will be provided a house site. But now, our hopes are lost. We do not know where to go and where to live. We have children to take care of,” Gujjala Mariamma, a daily wager, said.

The party said that it had collected names of the beneficiaries and submitted the list to the government long back. “The use of force against the hapless people has exposed the tall promises made by the State government. We will continue to fight against the high-handedness of the police,” party leaders said.

Party city secretary M. Bhavanarayana and other leaders Konda Rami Reddy and Nalinikanth were also arrested.

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