CPI(M) seeks justice to displaced Dalit farmers in Visakhapatnam

Party workers stage protest at A.P. State Housing Corporation Project Director’s office

Leaders and workers of the CPI(M) along with displaced Dalit farmers staged a protest at the office of the Project Director of AP State Housing Corporation Ltd here on Wednesday demanding allotment of houses to them at Bakkannapalem in Zone-2 of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).

The protesters, led by the party State secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao, went to the Project Director’s Office at Ushodaya Junction and staged a dharna against the injustice to the Dalit farmers, whose lands were acquired for construction of houses. Mr. Narasinga Rao said that the High Court order of 2019 had directed the Housing Corporation to allot houses to the displaced Dalit farmers in the newly-constructed residential complexes but the officials had failed to take any action on the direction of the court. He demanded that the government initiate action on the official concerned for failure to abide by the court order. He said that 86 poor Dalit farmers were allotted one acre of land each about 44 years ago for cultivation. But immediately within a year the land was taken back. But prior to the allotment, the farmers have been cultivating the land and some of the farmers raised cattle on the lands for a livelihood while a few raised poultry.

He alleged that the government had acquired the lands from them without paying any compensation and a Jawahar Navodaya School, a police training institute, an ITI for the physically challenged and an office of the Sericulture Department were constructed on the land. The authorities concerned had promised the displaced persons that houses would be constructed and given to them but their repeated pleas for allotment of houses went unheeded.

Mr. Narasinga Rao said that the names of the displaced persons were registered by the Housing Corporation for allotment of houses. He demanded allotment of houses without any further delay.

The party leaders R.K.S.V. Kumar, D. Appala Raju, S. Pydithalli, P. Appalanarasimham and Kesava were among those who participated.