Residents, farmers oppose proposed Indosol, BPCL projects in Nellore district

While the State government and SPSR Nellore district administration have been busy acquiring huge tracts of land for the proposed Indosol Solar Private Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) projects, the residents and farmers have been strictly voicing their opposition. Supporting them, few political leaders and voluntary organisations have been regularly raising their voices against these projects.

Meanwhile, after receiving the nod from the A.P. High Court, Bharatha Chaitanya Yuvajana (BCY) party chief Bode Ramachandra Yadav conducted a public meeting at Karedu village in Ulavapadu mandal of SPSR Nellore district on Sunday. Though the permission was granted to hold the meeting with only 100 people, thousands of farmers and villagers attended the meeting.

On the occasion, Mr. Ramachandra Yadav announced that he would go on a hunger strike along with the farmers in the heart of the village, if an attempt was made to grab their lands in Karedu village. “If the police do not give permission to fight on behalf of the farmers who are facing injustice, I will take permission from the courts,” he said.

He warned that even a cent of land cannot be forcibly taken from the farmers and expressed anger that whenever a government changed in the State, it had become a routine to forcibly grab lands for the establishment of SEZs and industries. How many companies have come up in the lakhs of acres of land that have been taken so far?, he questioned.

‘Devastate livelihood’

Similarly, the members of Human Rights Forum (HRF) called on the State government to desist from going ahead with acquiring large extents of land at Guduru mandal and by the coast in Kavali mandal to establish the BPCL project. This would devastate livelihoods and inflict unmitigated pollution in the region, they alleged.

HRF State secretary G. Rohith spoke to the residents of two villages in Chevuru and Ravuru of Gudlur mandal and four villages in Chennayapalem and Pedda Pattapupalem of Kavali mandal. All the villages are on a strip of land between the sea and National Highway 16. He informed that the farmers, farm labour and fishermen were firmly against the proposed project.