Pharma City Colony residents left in the lurch
The villagers in Parwada mandal in the district whose lands were acquired by the government for setting up of Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City were left in the lurch as the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and the government had failed to fulfil its promises.
Visakhapatnam: The villagers in Parwada mandal in the district whose lands were acquired by the government for setting up of Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City were left in the lurch as the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and the government had failed to fulfil its promises.
The condition of 2,000 families, who moved to Pharma City Colony, which falls under 56th ward of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits in Gajuwaka constituency, was pathetic.
“Now, when we recollect those instances and connect the dots, we understand that the government had looted us in the guise of providing a fair Resettlement and Rehabilitation (RR) package,” said Appala Naidu, a lorry driver and added that 95 per cent families got entangled in financial crisis.
According to villagers, at the time of land acquisition, Rs 90,000 for one acre was handed over to each family. As it would be impossible to build a house in new Pharma City Colony, the APIIC authorities brokered an unfair deal with a public sector bank to provide financial help of nearly Rs 2.40 lakh.
“APIIC persuaded us that the amount provided was part of RR package. Later, it came to light that the money given to us was actually a loan,” 56th ward Telugu Yuvatha president Karri Dasendra lamented. APIIC officials had assured the bankers on the instance of providing jobs to the displaced families, so that the loans could be repaid, he explained.
“However, in reality less than 20 persons got menial jobs in the pharma units. Moreover, even they are being exploited to the core and getting intimidated by the company managements,” he said.
In the last week, adding to the woes of evacuees, GVMC authorities warned of cutting water supply if they do not pay taxes to the civic body. “We never heard of paying taxes when we used to live in Parwada mandal. Only now we realise that our Pharma City Colony in Gajuwaka constituency falls under GVMC limits,” Somulamma said.
Speaking to The Hans India, grief-stricken group of women, who used to do farming, recalled that they had an independent life without involvement of money transactions before their evacuation from Parawada mandal.
Karri Appala Raju points out that CSR fund of pharma units were being used for the development of surrounding affected villages of Parawada mandal due to pollution, but not for the displaced people of Elamarthi, Kothapalem, Yedurivanipalem, Doppavanipalem, Panakalaypeta, Ponnuru Agraharam, E Bonagi and Jgannadapuram villages of Parawada mandal. “It is we who actually gave our lands for the establishment of Jawaharalal Nehru Pharma city, developed by Ramky Group and APIIC,” he noted.
By Y Abhishek Paul
