BHADRACHALAM: The Government which was firm on going ahead with the original design of the Polavaram project would be undermining the special status enjoyed by the tribals under the scheduled area Regulation 1/70, said the CPI(M) State Secretary B. V. Raghavulu.

Addressing a public meeting on Friday at Vararamachandrapuram, one of the villages facing the risk of submersion, Mr Raghavulu said that the rehabilitation of the tribal communities from the scheduled area in the non-scheduled area would leave them deprived by a great deal. It would amount to denial of their constitutional rights.

Safer options

He said that the Government, instead of going in for big dams, causing huge dislocation, should look to safer options without compromising on the results. Quoting irrigation experts, he said the construction of the Dummugudem project on the Godavari and Nelakota project on the Sabari would help harness more than half the water flowing waste. It would help lower the height of the Polavaram project thus minimising the displacement. Over 2.40 lakh people would be affected by the project and the environmental impact would be colossal.

The issue would be raised in Parliament by the party MPs in the next session. He hoped that other elected representatives from the district, including Union Minister for Tourism Renuka Choudary would also respond.

The Government should look into the scope for modifying the design of the project. It should discuss the issue with all political parties. Though the Government had been assuring the people of all support for their rehabilitation, people in the affected villages were still in confusion on the nature and quantum of compensation.

He said that the resettlement and rehabilitation package announced by the Government was part of the national policy, but it would not be relevant for the Polavaram project. It should announce a separate package for people being displaced by the Polavaram project. The displacement would be the largest-ever since 1.3 lakh acres of agricultural land would be affected. Some seven revenue mandals and 203 villages in Khammam would bear the brunt. Farmers losing land would not be able to get land in compensation on such a large scale.

Bhadrachalam MP Midium Babu Rao said that the people in villages facing the risk of submersion were in a state of confusion. It was time for the Government to stand by such sections instead of antagonising them. Khammam MLA Thammineni Veerabhadram said that the people were agitated in the district on the submersion issue and the Government should dispel their fears by taking up the issue by modifying the design. Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah said that there would be no compromise on the issue. The party would lead tribals in the fight against the displacement.

Bandh observed

Bhadrachalam: Meanwhile, a bandh was observed in Chintoor mandal on Friday in response to the call given by the Adivasi Samkshema Parishad (ASP) demanding the Government to give up the Polavaram project. The ASP activists forced closure of shops in the mandal and

took out a protest rally. They denounced cases against the activists of the organisation and wanted all cases to be withdrawn immediately. They threatened to intensify the stir if the Government was not able to solve the displacement problem.

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