Why ‘Capital’ punishment for the farmers, asks expert

“They are the best agricultural lands in the country! Will they become heartless concrete jungles to satisfy the whims and fancies of the powers that be?”

This is the question that MG Devasahayam shoots off when talking about the lands that are proposed to turn into AP Capital Lands.
And Devasahayam is no ordinery man. He is a former civil servant and the man who planned Chandigarh – capital for two states and a union territory in itself. He is also a member of the National Alliance of People’s Movement’s fact-finding tour that toured the 29 villages which are part of the proposed captial region.
Devasahayam also questioned as to why any capital city would need 30000 acres of land. He says no feasibility study was ever conducted before zeroing in on the area for setting up of the capital city.
He said the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report has also pointed out that there was no need to set up a new capital. Sivaramakrishnan was the an expert in urban planning, he reminded and added that the AP government should heed to his advice.
He advised the farmers of the affected areas to approach the Human Rights Commission and use green courts to fight for their rights.