Farmers of Gondipalli village in Rapthadu mandal of Anantapur district on Saturday opposed the fixing of energy meters for agricultural connections beginning on Farmers’ Day (Friday).
A delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the A.P. Rythu Sangham members visited Gondipalli on Saturday, where the Rapthadu police stopped them from going to the place where the meters were being fixed.
“The meter fixing work began yesterday and when farmers came out to protest, the State police personnel stopped them from holding any protest. All this is being done to fulfil the conditions laid down by the World Bank for power sector reforms to lend ₹1,000 crore,” said CPI(M) district secretary V. Rambhupal.
The Rythu Sangham district secretary R. Chandrasekhar and committee members Ramanjaneyulu and Pollayya dodged the police and went to the first energy meter that was fixed in the district and raised slogans against the State government for laying the ground for burdening the farmers later at the behest of the Central government.
Agriculture was already turning burdensome for farmers due to the vagaries of nature and the government not coming to their rescue on time. Now this energy meter would add more burden in future, he said and alleged that it was all to benefit the energy companies of Gautham Adani. The Adani group was seeking 40,000 acres in Bommanahal and Kannekal in Anantapur district and Mudigubba, for setting up solar and wind production units, which was part of the agreement with the World Bank, he said.
