Date:07/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/07/stories/2008100760160600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Wargal farmers welcome Nano

Special Correspondent

Ryots ready to surrender land in the hope of lumpsum compensation

WARGAL: With hardly any hope of eking out a decent living by tilling land, many farmers of Wargal are not opposed to part with their land for the Nano car project if the Government offered them a good compensation.

Wargal, is a village where 75 per cent of villagers depend on subsistence farming raising paddy, maize and cotton crops in the assigned lands. Though the visit of the officials was not publicised, the farmers told The Hindu that they were aware that the village could be a potential site for the car project.

Optimistic ryots

“We may be better off with the project if it fetches us good compensation and provides us work. We can only till the land but cannot sell it to raise money for major expenses like our daughters’ marriages,” says Yellaiah, a farmer with two-acre land. Another farmer Venkatesh agrees, “With the lumpsum amount as compensation, we will find work and our children can pursue studies”.

Raji Reddy, a relatively well-off farmer, rues “I borrowed one lakh rupees to raise crops and my returns was not even Rs.50,000 and debts are mounting. Let the Government take my land in return for good compensation.” But Ramchander disagrees. “The two acres of land is our lone source of livelihood. Without land, we would be on the roads.”

The village sarpanch Lakshminarayana however, sums up the mood of the village. “The farmers are willing to surrender their lands for a fair compensation. We are ready to give our written consent”.