Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CPI occupies land at Medipally

HYDERABAD: As part of its land struggles, the Communist Party of India on Wednesday led an agitation by landless poor to occupy government land at Medipally near Uppal on the city outskirts.

The crowd, including a large number of women, pitched red flags on four acres of forest land to symbolise the takeover. The police and revenue authorities tried to remove the flags later, but withdrew in the face of an opposition from the CPI cadre.

Incidentally, this was the fourth time that the CPI attempted to occupy the same piece of land. The huts erected at the site were cleared at the instance of the government on all occasions.

Addressing the gathering, CPI State secretary K. Narayana asked the poor not to vacate the land this time. He said the CPI would lead the agitation until the government gave them pattas or pushed the leaders into jail by booking cases.

Mr. Narayana said the CPI had agreed to removal of huts in the past on the assurance of the Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) that he would issue pattas to the eligible poor after taking up a socio-economic survey.

He said only four acres of land was left at the site after several encroachments. Ten acres of land was available there a year ago.

N. Balamallesh, Ranga Reddy district secretary of CPI, said the MRO had promised to take up the survey within a fortnight when the huts were removed last time. But, nothing of the sort took place in the last six months.

Medipally Sarpanch Panga Mahendar, who belongs to the Telugu Desam Party, entered into an argument with Mr. Narayana saying the CPI intervention was uncalled for because the list of beneficiaries was under preparation.

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