KAKINADA: National Commission for Schedule Tribes (NCST) has issued notices to Chief Secretary of Andra Pradesh, secretary to central Water Resources and River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Department, Polavaram Project Authority chief executive officer and East Godavari district collector on resettlement of people displaced by Polavaram Project.
The commission has directed them to submit their replies within 30 days.
These notices have been issued after T. Venkata Reddy of Talluri village in Devipatnam mandal filed a petition before NCST about non-implementation of the commission’s recommendations on Polavaram Project. He alleged that the state government and district administration have flouted norms and recommendations of NCST in the report on Polavaram Project-Affected Tribal People.
Venkata Reddy pointed out that High Court had underlined rehabilitation and resettlement of each and every displaced person being a condition before water is filled in the dam. The commission categorically asked the state government to ensure completion of R&R works and compensation to project-affected as well as project-displaced families at least four months prior to submergence or commissioning of the project or displacement of project-affected people, whichever is earlier.
However, Project Authority and engineer-in-chief had constructed a coffer dam upstream of River Godavari without fulfilling R&R conditions. Members of Scheduled Tribe Project-Affected Families had thus been forced to evacuate themselves from their habitations and erect makeshift huts on nearby hillocks.
The complainant alleged that officials are only interested in making arrangements for impoundment and diversion of waters, and not in providing even makeshift shelters for displaced to dwell even temporarily.
