Closure of Vizianagaram Rythu Bazaar likely as court says land belongs to Pusapati family

The closure of Rythu Bazaar at the Old Maharaja Hospital in Vizianagaram appears imminent, as officials have confirmed that the land belongs to the Pusapati family, which won the case in connection with the property in court.

According to sources, the family members of the Vizianagaram royal family have appealed to the government to remove the property from the 22-A prohibitory list, pointing out that they have won the case in the court and that relevant documents in have been submitted to get back the piece of land located near the MRO office.

Vizianagaram Collector B.R. Ambedkar told The Hindu that the Pusapati family approached the government five years ago over the property issue and that it has now submitted the details of the court order.

“Rythu Bazaar was unofficially set up as the revenue officials permitted the farmers to sell their produce after the hospital was shifted to the new premises. We will try to accommodate 30 farmers in the remaining three Rythu Bazaars in the city to protect their livelihood,” the Collector said.

A source in the Pusapati family said that the family of P.V.G. Raju, the last Maharaja of Vizianagaram, had donated land worth crores of rupees for the construction of schools, colleges and hospitals. “It is unfair to question the royal family when the court has given a favourable order to take back the land. We could not take it back all these years since it was kept in the 22-A list,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers and citizens staged a demonstration, demanding that the government allow the Rhythu Bazaar to continue in the same place.

Vizianagaram Pattana Powra Samskshema Sangham president Reddi Shankara Rao claimed that the land belonged to the government as per the 1968 revenue records. “Each farmer has been paying a rent of around ₹3,800 per month to the Marketing Department since 1999. Around ₹15 lakh has been collected by the government from each farmer in the last 26 years. It is absolutely unfair to ask the farmers to vacate the land, without issuing individual notices. The decision will cause inconvenience to more than 1,000 consumers,” he said.

Kumili G. Lakshmi, a farmer, said that the government must come to their rescue. Echoing the same view, Kondamama, another farmer, said that the government should construct a new Rythu Bazaar before asking them to vacate the land. A. Venkateswara Rao, a citizen, urged the government officials and the Pusapati family to rethink the decision to resume the land, saying that the Rhythu Bazaar has been catering to the needs of thousands of citizens and hundreds of farmers.

“The closure of the Rythu Bazaar will affect the farmers and the people as well. Vizianagaram has a population of around 16 lakh, and more Rythu Bazaars are needed. Moreover, closure of the Rythu Bazaar would damage the reputation of the Pusapati family,” said S. Sankara Rao, a consumer.