Amravati: Telugu Desam Party national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh today criticized the state government over its “approach” towards the people affected due to the Polavaram irrigation project and asked Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to fulfill his promises.
On Friday, the TDP leader wrote a letter to the Jagan Mohan Reddy, asking him to fulfill his promises made to the people displaced due to the Polavaram project.
In an open letter, Lokesh said that families who were ousted from their homes are suffering a great deal due to lack of expected compensation and resettlement facilities till now. Not a single promise made to the evacuees during the election time was fulfilled in the past two and half years.”
He expressed concerns over the plight of the displaced people. Lokesh claimed that the chief minister himself made different promises at different times before the polls. “At one time, Rs. 19 lakh compensation per acre was promised. Later, it was changed to Rs. 10 lakh per acre. Even the landless oustees were promised Rs. 10 lakh per family,” he added.
The TDP national general secretary reminded the AP chief minister of how he “promised aid and assistance to the displaced people”, including those who migrated in the aftermath of the Polavaram project. He was of the view that the Jagan Mohan Reddy forgot all his promises after coming to power.
“The chief minister should realize that the people gave him one chance to improve their living standards,” Lokesh said, and added that during his visit to the Polavaram affected areas he found people living in miserable conditions due to lack of relief packages.
“The YCP regime has totally neglected them just like it had ignored the whole State. The CM promised Rs. 5 lakh compensation per acre to the lands for which Rs. 1.15 lakh was paid already. He announced a special package to the youth above 18 years of age. Exclusive colonies with 25 facilities were promised for oustees.” lamented Lokesh.
Criticizing the government’s approach to the displaced people Lokesh pointed out that only 9 out of the 275 villages affected due to the polavaram project received meager funds.
“The Government was required to release Rs. 3,200 Cr for compensation and resettlement of the oustees’ families located in the 41.15-meter contour. But, just Rs. 550 Cr was released. Of this, the miscreants had pocketed over Rs. 100 Cr. The irrigation minister had promised to construct and hand over houses for 18,000 evacuees by June 2020 itself. Not a single house was there and not a single family was rehabilitated,” the TDP MLC claimed.