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.
Tag: Polavaram Project
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Focus On Polavaram Project’s Left Main Canal: Andhra Pradesh CM Tells Officials
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to pay attention to the left main canal of the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project, even as he reviewed projects including Veligonda, Vamsadhara, and Owk.
He instructed officials to focus on the left main canal as the construction of the main dam has been expedited.
Officials informed that sand filling and vibro-compaction work at gap 1 of Earth-Cum-Rock-Fill (ECRF) dam has been completed and similar work at gap 2 is going on at the project, a government release said on Monday.
The authorities apprised the Chief Minister that an expert committee from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti has inspected the cracks in the guide bund, noting that these cracks could have been the result of changes like soil.
Acting on the suggestions of this committee, cracks are being filled up and the committee has agreed to make final recommendations after detailed analysis.
As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Polavaram Irrigation Project has been declared a national project.
According to the Act, the Central Government shall execute the project and obtain all requisite clearances including environmental, forests, and rehabilitation and resettlement norms.
The Water Resources Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh is the executing agency for the Polavaram irrigation project on behalf of the Government of India, the Polavaram Project Authority website stated.
Meanwhile, officials told Reddy that various ministries are preparing a Cabinet note for approving the release of Rs 12,911 crore in funds sanctioned by the Finance Ministry for completing the first phase of the Polavaram Project.
Likewise, they have informed the Chief Minister that 12,658 displaced families have been shifted to the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colonies even as efforts are on to move the remaining 8,288 families.
On Veligonda, Vamshadara, and Owk projects, Reddy suggested officials formulate an action plan to expedite their construction on priority, reviewing them on a fortnightly basis.
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CM KCR has capability to complete Polavaram project: Malla Reddy
Hyderabad:Minister for Labour Malla Reddy once again hit the headlines with his controversial remarks.
Addressing the May Day celebrations at Ravindra Bharati here on Monday, Minister Malla Reddy said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has the ability to complete the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh and the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) can be saved only by KCR.
“In Andhra Pradesh, the caste politics are running and leaders are doing politics by calling themselves Kamma, Kapu and Reddy.
Everybody knows about the capabilities of KCR. Now, the people from neighbouring States are looking for the Chief Minister like KCR,” he pointed out.
Stating that under the leadership of KCR, the workers have constructed many significant projects in Telangana, including the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Yadadri temple, Dr B R Ambedkar statue and new Secretariat complex, Minister Malla Reddy said the State was the best place for the workers and Hyderabad was flourishing day by day.