Vijayawada: Take up rehabilitation measures for Polavaram displaced says CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao

Vijayawada : The CPM state committee has demanded that the State government immediately take up rehabilitation measures for the displaced families of the Polavaram project in view of the ensuing rainy season.

The CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao in a press release stated that 150 villages were submerged and affected in Eluru and Alluri Sitaramaraju districts during the 2022 Godavari floods.

He demanded that the government take measures for permanent rehabilitation of the Polavaram project displaced families. He said the government had stated that 45 villages will be submerged during the Godavari floods but 150 villages were affected in 2022 floods.

Even the rehabilitated colonies were also submerged in the floods which only reflected that the government’s assessment on flooding and affected areas proved wrong. Srinivasa Rao demanded that a scientific survey should be done on the flood-affected villages and steps should be taken for the rehabilitation of the displaced families.

He said the Left parties and civil society organisations were demanding the government to find a permanent solution for the Polavaram project affected people. He said several hundred families had been living in deplorable conditions in the forest areas in eight mandals due to construction of the Polavaram project and negligence of the government. He criticised both the State and Central governments for turning a deaf year to the problems of the Polavaram project affected families.

The CPM leader pointed out that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had stated that the compensation to the land will be increased from Rs 6.50 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per acre and so far it has not been implemented. He said the value of the lands increased in the State and demanded that the government must pay compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each acre land taken by the government.

V Srinivasa Rao also demanded the government to pay rehabilitation and relief package to people who will cross 18 years of age by September 2023.

He said the CPM decided to stage Maha Padayatra from Polavaram to Vijayawada from June 20 onwards and appealed to the people to extend co-operation to the Padayatra.