Protests demanding ‘right compensation’ by farmers from seven villages that are going to be affected by the Dindi lift irrigation scheme in Marriguda mandal here, completes one month today.
Around 90% of them being small and marginal farmers, the only experience they share is, “the government discriminates against us, and is unmoved by our plight. The project pylon has about 60 names, not even a leader came and spoke to us in these 30 days,” says Bochal Reddy, an aggrieved oustee.
The Dindi lift irrigation project by the State government, being constructed at Sivannaguda village here, aims at lifting the Krishna water from Srisailam reservoir and providing for the irrigation and drinking needs of the district, notorious for its prevalent drought and fluoride impact.
The project being built at a cost of ₹6, 200 crore would develop 3, 41, 500 acre of ayacut in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar, of which about 92% ayacut is in Nalgonda.
Villages of Cherlagudem, Venkepalli, Venkepalli thanda, Narsireddygudem will be directly affected, and villagers in Ramreddypalli, Sivannaguda and Khudabakshpalli will lose their lands.
“When CM KCR came here for the laying the foundation, we were filled with happiness after listening to the promises he made. He spoke for 10 minutes, but it felt like 10 hours,” says Venkat, one of the protesters, showing the recorded video.
“Why is that the farmers affected by the Kaleshwaram project were given ₹ 8 lakh and more per acre, and we get only ₹ 4.15 lakh? Is it because we belong to South Telangana?” they ask.
Owing to the protests, works at the site came to a halt since a month and several visits by the district officials failed. A visit by Devarakonda RDO Lingya Nayak on Tuesday, who carried the Collector’s message of the enhanced rate of pay of ₹5.15 lakh per acre to the farmers also resulted in a failure and his vehicle was gheraoed.
But a clear statement by the District Collector Gaurav Uppal came the next evening. “Those willing to give their patta lands will be given a one-time settlement of ₹ 5.15 lakh per acre, those unwilling would be given amounts between ₹2.40 lakh and ₹3.50 lakh per acre, as per 2013 Act,” he states. Those losing their dwellings would get ₹11.04 lakh per house, and additional compensation as per construction, the statement added.
Land rights and local activists say the ‘lands got wings’ after the project announcement, and that the lives and livelihoods of the oustees would be displaced forever, unless arranged suitably. Aggrieved farmers say the Chief Minister’s promises then were now their demands. They have one assertion, “We cant afford life outside these villages. We are not against the project, but please compensate us appropriately.”
