Amaravati, February 22, 2026: Political leaders and community groups in Eluru district held a roundtable today to voice strong opposition to any forced land acquisition for the Navy's planned ordnance depot in Koyyalagudem mandal.
The focus is on farmland between Bodigudem and Mangapatidevipeta villages, valued for its two-crop fertility supporting paddy, tobacco, and other yields.
Participants from CPI(M), YSRCP, CPI, CPI(ML) New Democracy, and local organisations stressed they back national defence needs but reject compulsory methods that harm farmers.
They cited the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, calling for Gram Sabha approval and priority use of government or wasteland to safeguard livelihoods. Earlier protests shifted the site from nearby areas, yet resistance persists amid fears of displacement in this agrarian belt.
