Data Centre Land Losers Protest, Seek Compensation and Jobs
Farmers who lost their land for the proposed data centre at Tarluvada in Anandapuram mandal protested outside the Tahsildar’s office on Tuesday, demanding that the State government and project authorities fulfil the assurances given to them during land acquisition.
Raising slogans, the protesters alleged that several promises made to the affected families had remained unfulfilled despite repeated representations to the authorities. They submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar, urging the immediate release of pending compensation to 520 affected farmers, including assignees, who they said were yet to receive their dues.
The farmers also sought permanent employment for one member of each displaced family, allotment of alternative land, and construction of a commercial complex for Dalit farmers, saying these commitments were made at the time of land acquisition but had not yet been implemented.
The protesters also sought priority for local residents in jobs generated by the project, removal of restrictions on access to their remaining agricultural lands, and public disclosure of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. They alleged that security personnel had restricted access to their fields, affecting cultivation, and said the EIA report should be made public to ensure transparency and allow public scrutiny of the project’s environmental impact.
Extending support to the agitation, the CPI(M) demanded that the State government resolve the long-pending grievances of the displaced families without further delay. Party leaders B. Gangarao, former corporator, and R.S.N. Murthy, Bheemili Division secretary, alleged that repeated representations to the district administration had failed to elicit a positive response.
The leaders said the affected farmers had been waiting for justice for several years and urged the government to honour the commitments made to them. They warned that if the pending demands were not addressed within a fortnight, the party, along with the affected families, would intensify the agitation and obstruct the construction of the proposed data centre.