TDP Demands Promised Package For Polavaram Evacuees

TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh today urged the Chief Minister of the state Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy not to neglect the settlement of the Polavaram project evacuees and ensure immediate payment of the promised R&R package to them.

He addressed a letter to the CM on the issue.

In his letter, Lokesh strongly objected to the manner in which the 1,500+ evacuees from 19 affected villages in the West Godavari district were forcibly driven out without any assistance being provided to them.

Lokesh told the CM that the 1,500+ evacuees had been shifted from four mandals about six months back on the pretext of a flood threat, and that they had came out with just the clothing on their bodies. However, the officials did not provide any alternative arrangements for them, and the colonies for the oustees were not ready even now, he said, resulting in the Adivasis, who would have been living happily in their native habitations, now having to live uncertain lives in other places.

Even drinking water facilities were not there for them, Lokesh lamented.

He claimed that the aggrieved families had been protesting for over four weeks now, but the local YSRCP MLA and the officials were turning a deaf ear to the issue. The MLA and the local Tahsildar had visited the oustee families, and the MLA had promised to take a delegation of 10 members of the evacuees' "Ikya Vedika" (united front) to the Chief Minister, but this had not happened so far, he said.

The YSRCP was planning to just drag the issue, he alleged.

Lokesh demanded that the Chief Minister take steps for immediate resettlement as per the laws of all the evacuees.

Also, the CM had announced a Rs 10 lakh package each for the oustees, and this should be provided at the earliest, he said, adding that the R&R package should be given to each of the displaced families, and fully.

Lokesh further demanded the implementation of the 2013 acquisition act while giving the package.