In an early morning swoop, heavy police force entered Gudatipally village in Akkannapet mandal in Siddipet district on Monday and took several people into custody. All those taken into control were shifted to Rajgopalpet police station.
According to sources, around 3.30 a.m. hundreds of police personnel along with green uniformed force equipped with headgear and lathis entered the village and took some persons into control. Some villagers said that at least two persons were injured in the clash with police.
They said that the villagers were taken into control for opposing the proposed survey of canals lands.
“The officials are stating that water would be taken from canals and to dig canals survey needs to be conducted. But our problem was that once the canal was dug, we will be fixed. At one side we will have bund of Gouravelli reservoir and on the other side we will have the canal. Moving out from the village in any emergency situation will be a Herculean task. We demand that the government pay all compensations and extend Rehabilitation and Resettlement package. We are ready to vacate the village,” Baddam Yellareddy, one of the villagers waiting outside the police station, told The Hindu.
Later in the day, the villagers walked all the way for eight kilometres from Gudatipally to Husnabad in a rally and held dharna before the RDO office demanding release of arrested persons and justice. After heated arguments with the officials at they have submitted a memorandum to the officials, the officials made it clear to them that they would proceed with works for the proposed 1.4 tmcft works for which compensations were already paid and if there were any missing persons in the village they would be addressed.
In a related development, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president condemned the attack by police on the villagers of Gudatipally and extended support to their demands. “The attitude of the government towards Gouravelli oustees was not acceptable. It must extend R&R package, double bedroom houses and compensation as per LA Act -2013 to all the eligible. If not the Congress would be forced to agitate,” said Mr. Revanth Reddy
CPI former MLA Chada Venkata Reddy and party Siddipet secretary Manda Pavan demanded that the government meet the demands of Gudatipally oustees.
