Polavaram project oustees seek justice

VIJAYAWADA: The Polavaram Project displaced families are seeking justice and urging the State and Central governments to provide them proper rehabilitation.

Members of the families have taken part in a 15-day Maha Padayatra which organised by the CPM.

“Left with no alternative to save our lives we are forced to come on to streets to reveal out plight to the State government,” said 50-year-old Veeramma of Yetapaka mandal of Polavaram submerged area. She participated in the Maha Padayatra of the Polavaram project displaced people which started in Nellipaka in the name of “Polavaram Nirvasitula Poru Keka” and culminated here on Tuesday demanding compensation as per 2013 Land Acquisition Act. The woman said both young and old participated in the Padayatra braving the prevailing heat wave conditions as the State government failed to come to the rescue of Polavaram project oustees though their fields and villages got submerged during the last Godavari floods.

She pointed out that the officials failed to complete survey in some inundated villages so far.

This is not a lone case and several women and youth who took part in the Padayatra revealed that the tribals who were deprived of their livelihood due to Polavaram project were not protected by the State government.

The Maha Padayatra led by the CPM covered 8 mandals of ASR district and Eluru district including Devipatnam, Chintoor, VR Puram, Kunavaram, Yetapaka, Polavaram, Kukkunuru and Velerupadu and majority of the displaced tribals participated.

The CPM leaders who led the Maha Padayatra said that 22 panchayats, 373 villages and 1,06,006 families, majority of them tribal families will be affected due to inundation from the waters of Polavaram project.

However, the government and officials failed to come to the rescue of tribals saying that their villages are not under the inundated villages list and that their villages dol not fall under 41.5 metres contour limits. Though the officials announced that only 20 villages will be submerged, the tribals stated that 193 villages were submerged when the floodwater reached 40 metres. They alleged that the State government failed to provide power, water and medical facilities in rehabilitation colonies.

The Polavaram displaced people led by CPM staged a dharna at the Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

CPM politburo member B V Raghavulu, CPM State secretary who led the Padayatra V Srinivasa Rao, party leader Ch Babu Rao, CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna, former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Special Category status Sadhana Samithi president Ch Srinivas, AP Professional Forum president N Maheswara Rao and others participated.