Farmers and ASHA workers stage protest at Vikarabad Collector Office

Farmers and ASHA workers staged protests in Vikarabad demanding withdrawal of land acquisition in Rapole and implementation of salary hike promises. Protesters warned of intensifying agitation if their concerns are not addressed by the government.

Vikarabad: Farmers and ASHA workers staged protests in front of the District Collector’s Office here on Monday in support of their demands. While farmers wanted the government to withdraw the land acquisition proceedings, ASHA workers demanded payment of Rs 18,000 monthly salary.

Farmers from Rapole in the district are up in arms against the government over land acquisition in survey numbers 227, 269, 234, 235, 236 and others in the village for establishing an industrial park. The farmers said repeated appeals were made to the Collector and RDO to withdraw the land acquisition notification, but there was no response.

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As the Prajavani programme was scheduled at the Collector’s Office, the farmers arrived in large numbers and staged a protest. “Like all these days, we have submitted a representation and officials gave an acknowledgement. But there is no respite,” Krishna, a farmer, said.

The Rapole Gram Panchayat had even passed a unanimous resolution against the land acquisition. “If the district administration does not consider our appeals, we will take the agitation to the next level,” Krishna said in a video statement.

Later, ASHA workers staged a protest at the Collector’s Office demanding enhancement of salary as promised by the Congress party before the Assembly elections.

The ASHA workers had conducted a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ protest to press for their demands. However, the police had taken many ASHA workers into custody and ensured they did not reach Hyderabad.

Intensifying their protest, the ASHA workers staged a protest on Monday. The workers’ salaries were being delayed. The promise to increase the monthly fixed salaries to Rs 18,000 was yet to be fulfilled even after two and a half years since the Congress came to power, BRTU state vice president Krishnaiah charged in a statement.