Hyderabad: Farmers in Tullur and Mangalagiri mandals in Guntur — where the new capital of AP is proposed to come up — are already dreaming big. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday met with farmers and landholders from the two mandals and promised to transform them into “industrialists from agriculturists.” Also, Mr Naidu told the farmers that the sharing ratio between the government and landholders in the developed land would be 50:50, increasing it from the earlier 60:40 ratio.
Landholders are now dreaming of constructing star hotels and shopping malls in the new capital.
Farmers are also seeking special reservation in jobs and education, bank deposits, special individual photos with the Chief Minister and memos signed by him.
Farmers’ groups that met with the CM sought a higher quantum of land. The government had earlier promised 1,000 sq. yards of developed plots per acre. Under the new ratio of 50:50, the farmers are likely to get 1,200 sq. yards of developed plots.
Landholders, however, want not just 1,200 sq. yards of residential plots; they are also seeking 200 sq. yards of commercial space per acre.
Some farmers also want just a single parcel of land rather than segregated lands. K. Sesha Babu, a farmer from Tullur, said, “If we get single large tracts of land, even if it is slightly away from the capital centre, we can construct a shopping mall or hotel. If it is two or three small pieces of land, we can’t construct anything there.”
Farmers also sought differential compensatory packages. “Lands which are fertile and closer to the river side and lands which are closer to Vijayawada should be given higher compensation than others,” said K. Samabasiva Rao, convener of the Farmers’ Land Pooling Committee.
