Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120560240400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Chalo Assembly’ by farmers foiled

Special Correspondent

Police arrest several farmers and leaders at Indira Park

— PHOTO: P. V. SIVAKUMAR

SHOW OF SOLIDARITY: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, CPI State secretary K. Narayana and other farmer leaders from TRS and CPI(M) at a rally near Indira Park on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Police arrested a few hundreds farmers including leaders of organisations affiliated to different political parties at the Indira Park when they staged a dharna and attempted to take out a ‘Chalo Assembly’ seeking compensation for crop loss and remunerative prices, among other things.

Those arrested included Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham (CPI) president K. Ramakrishna and All-India Kisan Sabha vice-president Kolli Nageswara Rao, Telugu Rythu (TDP) president C. Muthyam Reddy and Surender Reddy of the TRS .

Demands

Other demands put forth by the agitating farmers included fixing of minimum support prices -- Rs. 1,250 for paddy, Rs. 1,800 for sugarcane, Rs. 3,000 for groundnut and Rs. 4,000 for turmeric -- and crop loans for tenant farmers too as promised by government.

They also sought a white paper on the land acquisition by government for SEZs and for the coastal corridor.

Visit by leaders

At different points of time through the day leaders like TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, CPI secretary K. Narayana and floor leaders Chada Venkat Reddy (CPI), Nomula Narasimhaiah (CPI-M) and Etala Rajender (TRS) visited the dharna and addressed the gathering.