Vijayawada: Lokesh flays govt over plight of Polavaram oustees

Vijayawada: TDP national general Secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday urged Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy not to neglect the settlement of Polavaram project evacuees asking him to ensure immediate payment of the promised rehabilitation and resettlement package to them.

In a letter to the Chief Minister here on Thursday, Lokesh objected to the manner in which over 1,500 evacuees from 19 affected villages in West Godavari had been driven out without providing any further assistance. These aggrieved families were doing a protest 'deeksha' for over four weeks but the local YSRCP MLA and the officials were ignoring it.

Lokesh said the local MLA had promised to take a delegation of 10 members of the evacuees' 'Ikya Vedika' (united front) to the Chief Minister but did not.

Lokesh said the evacuees were shifted from four mandals on the pretext of flood threat. However, the officials did not provide any alternative arrangements for boarding and no drinking water facility was available.

Condemning the government's 'negligence', Lokesh said the colonies for the oustees were not ready. The Chief Minister had promised Rs 10 lakh package to all the oustees and it should be provided immediately. All the provisions of the 2013 acquisition act must be implemented, he said.