Date:01/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/01/stories/2007120161260900.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Contractor’s hurry causes misery to farmer

Staff Reporter

PEDDA SURARAM (NALGONDA DT.): A contractor’s hurry to finish off canal excavation work “as early as possible” has brought incalculable misery to Kotla Raveendramma, a small farmer, in this tiny village of Tipparthy mandal.

“I was here in my cotton crop on Thursday evening. By the time I reached here today morning, the crop was bulldozed by the contractor,” a wailing Raveendramma told The Hindu on Friday. A major portion of the cotton in her 1.4 acre patch on the outskirts of the village was razed. “I pinned all my hopes on this field, which I bought by selling the gold my mother had given me at the time of my marriage,” she said. Her husband Sreenivasa Reddy alleged that the contractor bulldozed the crop without taking the permission from the Government and the owner.

The contractor was awarded a contract to excavate 800 meters under distributory-39 of the SLBC in a 3-month period, however, argued that Sreenivasa Reddy and his brother Ram Reddy had given written permission to dig up a feeder canal to nearby tank. “Of the 800 meters, I could excavate only 150 meters so far. If the work goes on at this pace, I would attract a penalty. The siblings gave their consent for the works but now Sreenivasa Reddy is creating a fuss,” V. Venkataiah, contractor, rued.

Sayyad Jaffer, the Executive Engineer, clarified that official permission had not been accorded to the contractor.

“We asked him to take up work till the road but it seems he went overboard. If found guilty he will be asked to pay compensation,” he maintained.