Kakinada: An all-party team which visited Polavaram project affected villages in Chinturu Agency area on Friday demanded that the relief and rehabilitation be done first before completing the Polavaram project and do justice to the project displaced families immediately.
The team led by CPI(M) state Secretary P. Madhu, CPI state secretary K. Ramakrishna, Bhadrachalam MLA S. Veerayya, Jana Sena leader V. Gangulayya, CPI ML (New Democracy) leaders K. Ranga Reddy and others visited Chinturu and V R Puram mandals.
They started their tour in Chatti village in Chinturu mandal. They decided to take up relay fasts in Vijayawada on July 5 for justice to the Polavaram project affected families.
Madhu said the Central and the State governments had neglected the tribal people and also the residents of Agency villages in providing R&R packages and settlements. He said due to construction of cofferdam at Polavaram, nearly 19 villages were already submerged and more than 1.80 lakh people were being affected and moving from their villages to safer places.
Ramakrishna said the governments thought nobody would support the Polavaram displaced and affected families. He said all parties would render support to the victims and take up agitation against the governments’ stands on the part of doing justice to the victims.
TDP leader and the former MLA Jyothula Venkata Appa Rao (Nehru) said release of Rs 500 crore to them was not sufficient and demanded that the government release Rs 1,200 crore immediately and provide temporary shelters to the victims.
Veeraiah said the tribal people were not against development, but their customs and traditions were being vanished and they were facing great hardships for livelihood already. Gangulaiah said the governments had damaged and ruined their right to live in the forest.
CPI(M) state secretariat member M. Sitharam, T. Arun, AIDWA district secretary T. Tulasi, former MLA K. Sambasiva Rao, former MP S. Ramaiah, Telangana Jana Samithi leader G. Sankara Rao, former MLA V. Rajeswari, Adivasi All Party Sangham leader K. Subba Rao and others were present.
