KHAMMAM: The tribal communities facing the risk of displacement in Karakagudem village of Kunavaram mandal detained a team of officials for about five hours on Thursday. The team led by an MPDO, Radha Kumari, visited the village to hold a grama sabha on relocation of people facing the risk of submergence under the Polavaram project.

People from three villages — Tekubaka, Lingapuram and Karakagudem assembled in the village in large numbers. They did not allow the officials to hold the grama sabha and declined to entertain any sort of discussions on rehabilitation. They made it clear that the question of rehabilitation and resettlement would not arise, as they would not go away from the place at any cost.

Assurance to people

They demanded the Government to stop the work on Polavaram. They said their life would not be the same if they opted to be away from the place they lived in for decades. The MPDO and other officials assured them that their feelings would be conveyed to the administration, but the protesters did not relent.

Some tribal farmers who reached the village with pesticide cans had threatened to commit suicide if they were forced to move out of the villages.

The Sub-Collector of Bhadrachalam tried to secure the release of the officials by pacifying the protesters. When they did not yield, the police finally dispersed the crowds at around 4 p.m. and freed the officials.

The situation was tense in the village because of the confrontation between the tribal and the officials. Bhadrachalam Deputy Superintendent of Police Uday Bhaskar Rao said that steps were taken to defuse tension.

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