Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Call for change in Polavaram design

Special Correspondent

CPI(M) does not mind cooperating with `Narmada Bachao Andolan' leader Patkar

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) unit in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday asked the State Government alter the design of the Polavaram irrigation project to reduce submergence and displacement of tribals. State Committee Secretary B.V. Raghuvulu said here that even though the State Government got environmental clearance for the project, the CPI(M) was opposed to the current design that would cause large-scale displacement and submergence.

Better design sought

"Some 300 villages would be submerged and 2 lakh tribal people would be displaced. There are better designs to address these problems and we insist that the Government explore those. Our opposition is to the present design,'' Mr. Raghavulu told reporters. The CPI (M) leader was here to take part in the two-day Polit Bureau meeting that ended on Wednesday.

Asked whether the party would join hands with Medha Patkar who has reached Andhra Pradesh to carry out a struggle on behalf of those being displaced, he said that if there was an agreement on views the CPI (M) would not mind cooperating with her. On the party's view on the proposed Legislative Council revival bill, he said the party was opposed to it. The bill was kept in abeyance by the Centre and the Government preferred not to introduce it in the monsoon session as there was no consensus on the issue, he said.

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