Vijayawada: The Amaravati movement has almost reached the last stage in the fight to stop the relocation of the capital, and pro-Amaravati farmers are now pinning their hopes on the courts.
The pro-Amaravati supporters, including farmers who had given their land for the new capital, have been agitating for the past 47 days but have failed to get the YSR Congress government to reverse its decision of relocating government offices in an attempt to decentralise development and have three capitals.
The pro-Amaravati farmers filed nearly 30 petitions objecting to the relocation of the capital, allotting of lands in Amaravati to other purposes like AP government housing scheme, challenging repeal of the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) and seeking compensation.
Several petitions have been filed in the AP High Court in the past few days. Jonnalagadda Ramakrishna and 30 others have filed a writ petition challenging the three capitals decision. Rajadhani Rythu Parira-kshana Samiti, Amaravi Rajadhani Sameekarana Rythu Samakhya and 15 others have filed writ petitions challenging the legality of the expert committee, two filed writ petitions challenging the repeal of APCRDA. Eight writ petitions have been filed objecting to the police restrictions against Amaravati protests in Amaravati. Farmers have also filed writ petitions against the government for asking farmers to submit their difficulties and objections without providing reports of expert committees.
The pro-Amaravati farmers object to the government issuing GO Ms: 13 for the relocation of the Vigilance Commission and its associate office to Kurnool from Amaravati. They said that now they are pinning their hopes on the courts and the intervention of the Union government to stall the capital relocation process.
Protesting farmers such as C.R. Kotaiah, D. Rama Rao, and P. Sudhakar are upset that their peaceful protests, for the past 47 days, together with family members, has left the government unmoved. They said that 28,000 farmers offered 34,000 acres of farmland to the AP government through legal agreements made with the APCRDA and not with the Telugu Desam, which was then in power. They said when the TD lost the elections and the YSRC came to power, it should honour the agreements made by the farmers with the previous government.
