Former YSR Congress party general secretary and ex-Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy, who was one of the strong votaries against Amaravati as the state capital during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy regime, is now batting for the farmers of Amaravati.
A couple of days after the state assembly adopted a resolution urging the Centre to grant legal status to Amaravati as the capital city, Sai Reddy took to social media platform X to raise concerns over the plight of farmers who gave their lands for the development of Amaravati.
He tagged national and state leaders, including Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and N Chandrababu Naidu to his post.
Claiming that he was speaking “as a farmer” while voicing the concerns of Amaravati farmers, Sai Reddy questioned the ruling establishment over unfulfilled promises and inadequate compensation.
He sought to know whether any farmer who participated in the 2015 land pooling scheme had actually been able to construct a house on the residential plots allotted to them or establish commercial complexes on the designated commercial plots.
“Over the past 11 years, what tangible benefit did these farmers receive apart from nominal annual payments as token compensation?” he asked.
Sai Reddy also took exception to what he termed “emotional rhetoric” in the assembly regarding farmers’ sacrifices.
“Acknowledging sacrifices alone does not deliver justice,” he said, urging the government to move beyond statements and ensure concrete benefits.
He demanded that farmers be compensated in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, in addition to the previously promised residential and commercial plots. He further insisted that compensation for assigned lands be paid directly to the original assignees.
Raising another issue, the farmer Rajya Sabha member questioned the cancellation of nearly 50,000 house site pattas allotted to the poor by the previous government and demanded their reinstatement.
In a broader political message, he warned that constructing a capital city without ensuring justice to the very farmers who contributed land could raise serious public questions about whom such development ultimately benefits.