Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

District Collector does a balancing act

By S. Ramu

PEDDAGATTU (NALGONDA DT.) AUG. 20. Caught in the crossfire between intellectuals and irate locals, the Collector, Ram Prakash Sisodia, had a tough time at the environmental public hearing in Pedda Adiserlapally mandal yesterday.

Though the temperatures ran high at both the venues, Peddagattu and Pedda Adiserlapally, for different reasons, he kept his cool most of the time. He was very stern in dealing with participants who "tried to make use of the forum to deliver a lecture.''

When a villager at the Peddagattu session began his submission by recalling "the anti-arrack movement during N.T.Rama Rao's regime,'' the official ordered the Circle Inspector to grab the mike from him. Another person was reprimanded by him for "concentrating on the video cameras'' while presenting his views on the project.

On not less than three occasions, the environmentalists and representatives of the NGOs felt that they were snubbed by the comments of Mr. Sisodia. They took exception to his observation that the Environmental Impact Assessment report, the only document made available to the public by the UCIL, was not a Bible and was subjected to modifications. "If that is the case, why did they circulate it,'' questioned K. Satyalakshmi of the Movement Against Uranium Project.

Reacting to an anti-project activist's allegation that the UCIL is campaigning to mobilise public support in favour of it, Mr. Sisodia shot back and said: "Are you not campaigning against the project? The company's act is also be justified.''

Mr. Sisodia denied permission to the president of the Citizens Against Pollution, Purushottam Reddy, to present his views just before winding up the session at Peddagattu saying that "all the points were covered'' but he had to allow him to speak following the environmentalists' ranting. Similarly, he disallowed the well-known columnist, Praful Bidwai, to deliver his speech. But the public did not relent till he was given permission to address them.

The hearing also witnessed a highly tense atmosphere with the arguments and counter arguments of the pro and anti-project activists. The local people booed the anti-project activists and also tried to pick up arguments with them on the points they were making before the public hearing panel.

However, Pedda Adiserlapally had a different story altogether. The Nambapur villagers, who were allegedly driven away by the Peddagattu residents, created a ruckus demanding action against them. Meanwhile, the environmentalists raised eyebrows over the allocation of "sufficient'' time to the UCIL officials to brief the public at the beginning and to clear the doubts at the end of each session.

As was comprehended by an official, in the two sessions of public hearing that lasted for eight long hours, participants rallied around only two questions, i.e. employment or environment.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Naidu launches new rail services, works
• Krishna delta farmers restive
• Naidu gets into election mode
• Trade rivalry to blame for liquor deaths?
• Waybills racket unearthed
• Future of medical college contract staff uncertain
• Lift irrigation schemes set to change face of upland areas
• District Collector does a balancing act

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu