Farmers Against GO 123: TDP On Mallanna Sagar

Telangana TDP leader and Farmers Association President Onteru Pratap Reddy refuted the claim made by Irrigation Minister Harish Rao that the farmers of the villages that will be submerged due to the proposed Mallanna Sagar reservoir consented to part with their lands to the government.

"Harish Rao's claim that the Erravalli, Vemulghat, Lakshmapuram and Kishtapur villagers consented to give their lands as per GO MS No 123, is false," Reddy alleged.

Though the Chief Minister had originally announced that lands would be acquired as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, Harish Rao implemented the much less farmer-friendly GO MS No 123 instead, Reddy claimed. And now he was falsely claiming that it had the people's support.

He also accused the local TRS leaders of forcibly getting fertile lands handed over to the government. He demanded that Rao release the details of the lands acquired from each village for the project.

He claimed that the villagers near Mallanna Sagar were now living in trepidation about the implementation of Section 144 by the police.

Reddy also alleged that the government was just toying with its people's aspirations, and had done nothing for them during the last 26 months. He accused it of making false promises on fee reimbursement, loan waiver and the double-bedroom flat scheme.