At a time when the State government is on its toes to develop the new Capital in Thullur region, debates are gaining momentum on the impact of the change in land use pattern on the food security of AP.

Though the government is pooling 33,811 acres for Capital here, it is apparently yet to draw plans to compensate the loss of agricultural produce the State would face. The government argues that the land which is being pooled is ‘dry land as per records’. “It is not necessary to compensate the land if it falls under dry category,” officials say.

Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Commissioner N. Srikanth says: “For the past 200 years, agricultural lands in the region have been notified as dry lands. They continue to be identified as the same even after the construction of an anicut (Prakasam barrage).”

But, the opposition parties claim that the lands are irrigated ones. “It is sheer bogus to identify the lands as dry lands,” CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu says, adding that farmers here are cultivating even paddy under Lift Irrigation (LI) Schemes. “The region is considered very fertile as three to four crops are being taken up per year. How can the government call it dry land, merely going by the records?” he asks.

AP Koulu Rythu Sangham State secretary Nagaboyina Ranga Rao claims that vegetables are being grown in the region in more than 8,000 acres. The lease amount for tenant farmers here ranges between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 1.1 lakh . “It is enough to believe how fertile the lands are,” he argues.

Even Sivarakrishnan panel constituted to study the alternatives for the new Capital, in its report, has mentioned that “any attempt to divert agricultural land in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts, for non-agricultural use will benefit only the land speculation and surge profit for realtors.”

(Reporting by G.V.R. Subba Rao)