Polavaram displaced families pin hopes on CM, central minister

KAKINADA: Polavaram Irrigation Project displaced families are pinning considerable hopes on a tour of relief and rehabilitation colonies in East and West Godavari districts by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and union water resources minister Gajendra Shekawat on Friday.

The two will visit Indukuru R&R Colony in Devipatnam mandal of East Godavari district, apart from Taduvayi and Polavaram in West Godavari district.

An aspect providing a boost to displaced families is observation of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India that there is no MoU between central and state governments on construction of Polavaram, which has been declared as “National Project’’ by central government.

Relief and rehabilitation (R&R) packages offered to displaced people have not yet been completely implemented. In fact, many of the victims have not received any compensation from the governments. As per norms, government must also compensate all girls who have completed 18 years of age on the date notification for acquiring lands has been issued. Officials have refused compensation to them saying the girls are married.

This has led to a problem. At the time of performing their marriage, parents promised to pay grooms money that they receive as compensation in the name of girls. But the government has not paid any compensation. There is pressure on parents to pay the pending amount. Seeing this, those who have not yet performed marriages of their daughters have refrained from doing so, says Girijana Sangham leader Satyam.

According to a victim of Angaluru village, even boys who have crossed 18 years of age have not received any compensation from the government so far.

Incidentally, Jagan Mohan Reddy had during 2019 assembly elections promised to give ₹ 10 lakh in compensation additionally to victims and ₹ 5 lakh in case their lands had been acquired before 2009. Project displaced families say these two promises have not been fulfilled so far. They have requested officials to provide them an opportunity to the CM and central minister to express their woes and submit representations.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments had approached Supreme Court over Polavaram project, pointing out that AP government must construct eight protective barriers in Odisha and four in Chhattisgarh to prevent flooding by the project in their areas. These have not been completed so far. The central government has not taken any steps yet to sort out these issues.

“Unless the two neighbouring state governments do not withdraw their cases in Supreme Court, Polavaram project cannot be completed till its original height of 45 contour. If the state government completes the project only up to 41.15 contour, the project will be of no use, said Adivasi Maha Sabha legal advisor Inapurapu Suryanarayana.