Cong leaders assure to protect farmers interests

Hyderrabad, Aug 12 (UNI) Congress MLAs P Janardhana Reddy and M Sasidhara Reddy today assured the farmers at the Kokapeta on the city outskirts, whose lands were auctioned by the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority(HUDA), that they would discuss the matter with the party and the government and do justice to them.

The two leaders today visited the Kokapeta where the farmers narrated their woes to them.

Mr Janardhna Reddy said the HUDA should have discussed the matter with the farmers and the authorities before auctioning the lands.

The government should provide 40 per cent of the land to them under the Telengana Tenants Act.

The famers said they had been cultivating the lands for the last 70 years and depended on agricultural income for livelihood. They alleged the HUDA auctioned the lands without serving any notices to them on the plea the lands belonged to the government.

The farmers along with their families threatened that they would commit suicide on the lands if the government failed to protect their rights as tenants.

Mr Sasidhara Reddy said it was wrong on the part of the government to take over the lands of the poor farmers when it was claiming to be distributing land to the landless poor in the state.

He said that the government should protect the interests of the farmers and assured to take up the matter with the Chief Minister.

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