Gouravelli ousters not happy with R & R package

Gouravelli (Karimnagar): The land ousters of Gouravelli reservoir are not ready to accept the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package, offered by the government. While the district administration has finalised a government land to establish new residential area, the ousters wanted the administration to setup rehabilitation colonies in three different locations.

Dissatisfied with the RR package offered by the officials, people belonging to different villages that were submerged in the project, wanted to explain their woes to the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), during his district tour on Saturday. But, they lamented KCR couldn’t spare time for them.

Gouravelli project was taken up under Jalayagnam project in 2007 and acquired 2,200 acres of land in Gudatipalli village panchayat limits. Under this village, there are five hamlets - Maddelapalli, Savullapalli, Tenugupalli, Kothapalli and Somaji thanda.

The payments for agricultural lands were done but compensation process for houses was not completed. Rs 2.10 lakh was paid per one acre of agricultural land. Out of 684 houses that were submerged under the project, payments were made only for

296 houses.

The trouble between the officials and land ousters began when the officials had decided to setup a rehabilitation colony near Ramavaram village. The displaced people, who purchased lands in different areas, wanted the officials to develop rehabilitation colonies in three places, one near Thenugupalli, second at Ramavaram and the third one at Gouravelli village.

Speaking to The Hans India, Angeti Kondal Reddy, a resident of Gudatipalli, alleged that the officials were trying to wash their hands off by setting up a rehabilitation colony on the hillocks near Ramavaram village. He said nothing will be available in that area. Kondal Reddy lost six-and-a-half acres of land under the project.

The people purchased agricultural lands in different places with the compensation amount and they want the new colony near their lands for their convenience. This was said by another farmer Gurram Yella Reddy, whose seven acres of land was submerged under the reservoir.