KAKINADA: Officials have stopped allotment of house numbers to those constructed in the last two years and have also done away with collection of house taxes from them. Many are facing displacement in Polavaram affected villages in Godavari districts. Panchayats have been directed to implement the ruling in order that those owners do not claim compensation.
At present house-to-house surveys are being done in the affected villages and the revenue staff are busy enumerating. People from several villages alleged that the enumeration staff is not considering the new houses and its residents and they are exerting pressure on them to bring the door numbers, house tax receipts, Aadhar numbers and also assessment numbers of the houses. But they said that the panchayat officials are not obliging on this count. Officials point out that this rule was only meant for non-tribal families. Villagers alleged that the enumeration staff is not considering houses that the enumeration staff are conducting the survey only within the ‘stone area’ but not above it.
Yadavalli Bhaskara Rao of Kunavaram in Yetapaka division said that the government had not started any survey and has not given resettlement, rehabilitation and resettlement packages for the past one year although officials visit villages now and then. The directive given by the government is irrational and house numbers and door numbers should be given to those houses constructed before two years.
Some people called on the ITDA project officer of Chinturu Akula Venkata Ramana for the purpose. Ramana told this correspondent that as per law, the government should take into consideration survey of the houses constructed at least three years back. He also said that the technical teams marked ‘full reservoir stones’ by assessing the water levels to reach with a distance of 100 metres. Unless there is submergence, there will be no problem to the people and they need not be evacuated from their houses or villages. But, the people said that if the project is completed, waters will engulf houses and there will be no transport facilities and the government should consider it and all should be given compensation.
