Polavaram Project: Justice sought for people of submerged mandals

Rajamahendravaram: Adivasi Mahasabha Legal Adviser Inarapurapu Suryanarayana demanded the authorities to declare the Polavaram project submergence area as an atrocity-prone area and prepare a comprehensive report on the Polavaram submergence mandals where SCs and STs are subjected to atrocities. He sought immediate justice for displaced people by implementing the R&R package.

Speaking to media at Rajahmundry Press Club on Thursday, he said that the Central government will hold a meeting in Delhi on December 5 regarding the Polavaram project budget. According to the recommendations of the Justice Punnaiah Commission in 2001, the then government issued GO No 116 on this, he recalled.

He said that the then government declared West Godavari and Khammam districts as the most atrocity-prone districts. Now, 7 mandals from Khammam district are in the Polavaram project flooded area. Similarly, Polavaram Mandal of West Godavari District is also the same.

He alleged that the Land Acquisition officials are violating laws and giving false reports to the courts and criticised them for violating the new Land Acquisition Act, PESA Act, SC and ST Act. Not paying adequate compensation for the acquired land, paying less than the R&R package and not giving compensation to displaced persons under the new Land Acquisition Act are offenses under the SC and ST Act.

In 2007, the AP High Court ordered that the project work should not be undertaken without moving displaced people to the resettlement areas and action should be taken against all those who violate these orders.

He urged the government to provide security to the 3 lakh STs and 60,000 SCs who are under the threat of floods due to illegal works of the Polavaram project.

Adivasi Mahasabha President A Veerabhadra Reddy, Secretary M Bangurubabu, All India Tribal Manch State leader Y Nageswara Rao, SC Nirvasitha sangham leaders Maddipati Satish, M Ratnaraj, Sonia, K Raghupathi, M Posamma and others were present.