Vijayawada: Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the state government may be forced to shift the capital to Nuzvidu if the farmers of Tulluru continued to oppose the land pooling scheme.
"It is up to you. The capital will go to Nuzvidu area if you keep on complicating the issue," the minister told a delegation of farmers, led by Krishna Delta Parirakshana Samithi leader Kolanukonda Sivaji and Rayapudi farmers' leader Mallela Seshagiri Rao, who came to submit a representation to him.
"We requested him to look into our demands. We are not opposing the idea of capital city," said Seshagiri Rao, adding that the farmers are only demanding exemption of their green fields from the land pooling scheme.
He added that the farmers' delegation thought Venkaiah Naidu, who has been fighting for the cause of farmers, would intervene and protect the interests of farmers in Tulluru mandal. "Instead, he disappointed us by talking about the relocation of capital," he alleged.
Earlier, addressing a meeting in the city, Naidu said the government has many options to relocate the capital. "Balaram (Prakasam TDP leader) has already requested the CM to make Donakonda the capital. People from Nuzvidu too are demanding location of the capital in their area. The farmers of Tulluru should be realistic and take a wise decision," he said.
He wondered whether lands in Tulluru would fetch such a high price had the capital not been announced there. Venkaiah suggested that farmers should not fall in the trap of middlemen and 'attention-diversion forces'. He, however, felt that the state government will take the demands of the farmers into serious consideration and provide them reasonable compensation.
Source: TimesOfIndia
