GUNTUR: A tense silence prevailed on Tuesday at the new capital-area villages where farmlands were burnt late on Sunday night. Pro and anti-land pooling land-owners now suspect each other for being responsible for the act.

Telugu Desam and YSR Congress leaders visited Lingayapalem, Rayapudi, Penumaka and Mandam in Tullur and Tadepalli Mandals on Tuesday. The farmers rue that the land pooling issue has driven a fissure amongst them and they are not united any longer. They want the government to announce all the norms and rules of land pooling once and for all to clear the confusion and to restore normal conditions in the anti-land pooling villages.

Meanwhile, the incident has made the landowners of Penumaka, Undavalli, Rayapudi, Lingay-apalem, Mandadam and few other villages all the more suspicious of the state government’s land pooling scheme.

A farmer of Penumaka, J. Nages-wara Rao, said that the land pooling had divided the farmers into two groups. He said that he was a leased farmer and the culprits had destroyed `2.50 lakh worth bamboos in the fire.

Another farmer, B. Sankar Reddy, said that his stocking hut, drip irrigation pipes, pesticides stocks, power sprayers and banana plantation had been destroyed. He further said that the farmers were against land pooling due to lack of clarity about the norms, but the ruling party leaders and the government was trying to instigate the farmers by remaining adamant without giving clarity.

He feared that the anger against land pooling would increase if the government tried to create fear through these types of incidents. Farmers of Lingayapalem village said that they suspected the involvement of pro-land pooling farmers in the arson while the latter group suspects the former. The farmers are now questioning every stranger coming to their villages and are refusing to share information.

Meanwhile, the police has formed 10 special teams to probe the fire incident and has set up six check posts to restrain free wandering of unknown persons in the capital region.
Guntur Rural SP P.H.D. Ramakrishna said that the special teams were conducting investigations and trying to nab the culprits as early as possible.

Farmer Sk China Meera of Lingayapalem said, “We cultivate banana in the leased farms in Lingayapalem village and don’t have any rivalries with anyone, but sadly the culprits burnt our banana fields. The state government should initiate stern action against the culprits to clear all fears of farmers.”

Tullur capital decision irreversible: Narayana:

Minister for municipal administration, P. Narayana visited the burnt fields in villages of capital region on Tuesday and interacted with farmers. The minister confirmed that the decision of establishing a new capital in Tullur is irreversible and the government will not budge from its stand.

He said that the government is taking all the necessary steps to restore confidence among the farmers. Mr Narayana alleged that some anti social elements are trying to stop the new capital at Tullur.

The minister visited Undavalli, Penumaka, Tadepalli, Mandadam, Lingayapalem and Rayapudi villages of capital region, Meanwhile Mr Narayana received a lot of criticism from the villagers of Tade-palli as they objected to the arrest of farmers belonging to a particular community (Reddy) and demanded that the arrested persons to be released immediately.

Mr Narayana said that he cannot do anything on the issue. They further dema-nded that the government conduct an open ballot to seek the opinion of the farmers on land pooling.