Vamsadhara oustees allege raw deal

Srikakulam: Woes of Vamsadhara project displaced families are yet to be resolded in Hiramandal and Kotturu mandals.  In 2005, the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy had laid the foundation stone for reservoir under phase-2 of stage -2 of Vamsadhara project. 

In 2006, land acquisition process was launched and continued till 2009. At that time, the cost of wet land was fixed at Rs 1.30 lakh per acre and Rs 1 lakh for dry land. Rs 85,000 was paid to each landless family in the affected villages.

After six years in 2015, the TDP government had started measures to finish it by launching a fresh survey on project displaced families and as per 2005 survey, 8,000 project displaced families were identied and as per survey conducted in 2015, displaced were enhanced to 10,000. 

In all, 18 villages under Chinnakollivalasa, Garlapadu, Tulagam, Padali, Duggupuram and Peddasankili grama panchayats in Hiramandal were displaced completely. When a fresh survey was launched by the government in 2015, the displaced families were demanding a package as per new Land Acquisition (LA) Act- 2013, as all lands were in possession of the farmers and they were living in their own houses.  
But the government denied the displaced families plea and decided to pay youth package to pacify them by fixing 18 years as criterion as on December 31, 2015. Sensing trouble from the displaced families, the government had started occupation of lands, village wise from the farmers.

“The government paid low amount for us before 2009 and we had been in possession of lands till 2016 and demanded payments on par with other projects like nuclear power project (NPP) at Kovvada where Rs 18 lakh was paid per acre by implementing new LA Act-2013”, Tottadi Poli Naidu, a displaced person from Duggupuram village explained to The Hans India.

“Officials denied payment for our four acres stating that they are assigned lands, but at Kovvada NPP, Rs 18 lakh was paid per acre for assigned land on par with zeroyati”, Gavra Srikrishnamurthy, Barri Mohan Rao of Padali village explained.

“Since the beginning of survey in 2015, we have been demanding that the government pay compensation as per new LA Act-2013. Fearing about courts intervention, officials started land acquisition process illegally as lands were in possession of farmers till 2016”, said Human Rights Forum (HRF) state vice-president KV Jagannadha Rao.

“We are resolving the problems of displaced families and would pay compensation, if any eligible did not get it”, Joint Collector KVN Chakradhara Babu told The Hans India.