Farmers demand DPR on proposed coal gasification project in Eluru district
They seek public consultations and conduct of gram sabhas before the project is taken forward
Farmers and residents in the Recherla area of Eluru district, where a coal gasification project is planned, have called for the immediate release of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). They argue that the Central and State governments should not make unilateral decisions without consulting affected communities. At a meeting on Friday, K. Prabhakar Reddy, the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham State general secretary, urged the government to disclose the specifics of the proposed Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) project and hold public consultations and gram sabhas before moving forward.
Reddy questioned Reliance Industries' involvement and alleged that valuable public resources were being handed over to corporate interests without adequate local consultation. The region, he noted, is agriculturally productive, with farmers growing oil palm, cocoa, coconut, banana, maize, paddy, and other crops. The meeting, chaired by K. Sarath Kumar, saw farmers and leaders from various organizations inspecting an old borehole used for coal exploration decades ago.
They vowed to resist compulsory land acquisition and opposed surrendering their land for the project. The farmers warned of launching a public agitation if their concerns are not addressed before the government proceeds with the project.
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