YSRTP president Y.S. Sharmila commenced her three-day visit to flood-hit Adilabad, Karimnagar and Khammam districts on Thursday.
She reached Koya Poshaiah Gudem village in Dandepally mandal of Mancherial district and interacted with podu farmers where recently police had forcibly removed huts of tribal families leading to tension. The farmers had said that they had been cultivating the land for generations and the government had been trying to get the land vacated. She also interacted with women who were beaten up by the police during removal of huts. They explained to her how badly they had been treated by the police.
“As many as 12 of us were kept in Adilabad jail for one week. As I was in jail, my daughter was forced to get feed with milk powder and she has rejected milk from me after that,” a weeping Ms. Rajitha told Ms. Sharmila during interaction. Another woman alleged that they were not allowed even to go to attend nature’s call.
Later, speaking to reporters, Ms. Sharmila said that every year 52 families of podu farmers were being forced to fight for their rights and it was not right on the part of the government not to have addressed the issue so far. She alleged that women were treated inhumanly by the police.
Referring to the statement recently made by officials that there was a need to change the laws to allocate pattas for podu lands, the YSRTP president said that late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had got the pattas issued to podu lands with the same laws. She promised support to podu farmers during their fight.
Later, Ms. Sharmila, visited Medarivada basti and NTR Nagar Colony in Mancherial and examined the houses inundated by flood. The victims alleged that though Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had promised ₹10,000 financial assistance they had not received it except 5 kg of rice. She also visited the family of Jamuna, who had committed suicide after her houses was submerged in flood water.
