Vanpic oustees raise pitch for return of land

GUNTUR/ONGOLE: The rosy tale of Vadarevu and Nizampatnam Port Industrial Corridor or VANPIC seems to have come to an end. The dreams of the villagers who have lost their land but are optimistic of getting a better livelihood, are shattered. And now, the oustees want their land back.Over the last couple of months, several villagers who have lost their land to VANPIC have been requesting the district administration of Guntur and Prakasam to return their land as no project has come up in the area. With the arrest of VANPIC promoter Nimmagadda Prasad, the demand has just strengthened.Bandrajupalli Subbaravamma of Motupalli village in Vetapalem mandal of Prakasam district, an oustee of VANPIC, submitted a representation to the Vetapalem Tahsildar a week ago for return of her 2.5 acre site acquired for the VANPIC project three-and-half-a-years back.In her representation she stated that as per the Land Acquisition Act, the lands that were acquired by the government should be returned to the owners, if the project purpose was not served. The VANPIC management made several promises to the displaced at the time of land acquisition but none of them were fulfilled as the project works did not take off even after four years.The state government permitted VANPIC promoters to acquire 28,000 acre in Guntur and Prakasam districts for the project. While some land was acquired by the government from the farmers, Prasad and his company acquired the rest directly from farmers at cheap rates. The land acquisition was taken up by imposing prohibitory orders during September and November in 2008. In all, land acquisition was taken up in 14 villages of Prakasam district and 20 villages of Guntur district.“I used to grow jasmine in my 20 cents of land to earn livelihood. But the revenue officials took even that land leaving me to my fate,” lamented Pedapadu Purna, a physically challenged from Adveedhipalem in Vetapalem mandal of Prakasam district. Purna too wants his land to be restored to him. During his election campaigning in Ongole on Wednesday, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy promised to do justice to the oustees soon after the CBI court delivers its verdict.However, the village heads of 20 villages in Prakasam have decided to conduct a meet at Chirala next month under the leadership of B Subbaravamma who took an initiative demanding restoration of her land.The agitators are also planning to invite leaders of all parties who worked for the oustees during land acquisition for VANPIC.

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