Anti-airport protesters lay seige to circuit house

VISAKHAPATNAM: Tension prevailed at the circuit house here on Tuesday after nearly 200 agitators from Vizianagaram's Bhogapuram mandal gathered to protest against the proposed greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram. They also stopped state housing minister Kimidi Mrunalini's car, raising slogans against the state government.
The protesters reached the circuit house after getting information that state HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and minister Kimidi Mrunalini were scheduled to hold a review meet there on the Bhogapuram airport issue.They demanded that Mrunalini conduct the review meeting at Vizianagaram and not Visakhapatnam.
Although the police personnel on duty requested the agitators to vacate the place, they continued their protest leading to heated arguments. Finally, the ministers agreed to meet the protesters, who submitted a representation to them.
Ganta and Mrunalini along with MLA Patiwada Narayana Swamy Naidu, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam collectors MM Nayak and N Yuvaraj, Vizianagaram RDO J Venkata Rao and Bhogapuram tehsildar Lakshma Reddy attended the review meet. Minister Ganta told the protesters that the airport was needed for the development of the region.
He also said that the revenue department officials would soon start a survey of displaced families and the state government planned to complete the land acquisition in record time to begin construction of the airport. He said the government intended to construct the airport with the consent of farmers and that all the displaced families would get justice with a substantial compensation package.
Srinivasa Rao also elaborated on the government's plans to acquire 5,551 acres of land from the villages of Mujeru, Kancheru, Raavada, A Ravivalasa, Gudepuvalasa, Kauluvada and Kongavanipalem, of which around 1,418 acres belonged to the government.
He assured the protesters that the government had no intention to forcibly acquire land and pointed out that it had acquired 33,000 acres at Tulluru for the capital city with the consent of the farmers.