Farmers halt survey in Devineni’s constituency
Minister for Water Resources Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao’s plan to supply irrigation water to starved agriculture fields in his own
- Water Resources Minister Rao wanted to irrigate 2 lakh acres in his constituency Mylavaram through CLIS
- The Dwaraka Tirumala mandal farmers are demanding Rs 30 lakh compensation per acre on par with PLIS
Eluru: Minister for Water Resources Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao’s plan to supply irrigation water to starved agriculture fields in his own constituency Mylavaram in Krishna district from Chintalapudi Lift Irrigation Scheme (CLIS), has now met with protests from farmers of neighbouring West Godavari district.
The farmers have objected the ongoing survey of the Chintalapudi Lift Irrigation Scheme on Wednesday demanding the government for higher compensation on par with the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. The farmers of Dorasanipadu village gathered at a spot when the surveyors visited the village to mark the lands for the CLIS. However, the farmers objected surveying and demanded compensation to their agriculture lands on par with the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS) land acquisition rate.
Earlier, the farmers gave their lands in Pedavegi and Denduluru mandals for the Polavaram Right Main canal (PRMC) under PLIS for higher compensation of Rs 30 lakhs per acre. The Dwaraka Tirumala mandal farmers are demanding the same for the CLIS. However, the officials clarified that as the PLIS is a prestigious project for the government, it acquired lands for higher compensation and the Dwaraka Tirumala mandal farmers will get the compensation as per the New Land Acquisition Act only.
The farmers of Rallakunta, Dorasanipadu, IS Raghavapuram Gundugolanukunta and other villages have to lose their lands under the CLIS.
The CLIS project was taken up at Guddigudem village with a cost of Rs 1,701 crore as per the G.O Ms.No.240 issued on October 24, 2008. However, the cost has been increased to Rs 4,900 crore under G.O 94 this year after the TDP government came to power. The district officials have almost completed the land acquisition under the first phase of the project. As per the first plan, the CLIS will supply water to 1.78 lakh acres ayacut in West Godavari and Krishna district. Later, it has decided to supply water to five lakh acres in both districts.
During the second phase, the CLIS canal has to be dug up over 50 km from PRMC in Dwaraka Tirumala mandal up to Guddigudem, where the construction of reservoir takes up. If the CLIS has been completed, about 1.78 lakh acres will get irrigation water, that includes the agriculture lands in Mylavaram, the constituency of Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao.
Under this scheme, 253 villages will be benefited according to irrigation officials. About 12 mandals in West Godavari and three mandals in Krishna district will be benefitted through the CLIS. The reservoir at Guddigudem to be constructed will have a storage capacity of 8 tmc ft water.
Although the scheme was initially designed to irrigate the upland tracts in Chintalapudi and Gopalapuram mandals in West Godavari district, Minister Devineni in the current TDP government extended the lifting scheme up to his constituency covering 2 lakh acres which actually fell under the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal. The people in the Minister's constituency had to look up to the Godavari waters since the Krishna river failed to trickle in waters for the last several years.
