Bifurcation blues are haunting tribal people of four mandals that have been carved out of Telangana and merged into East Godavari . As a result of bifurcation, no survey for relief and rehabilitation package under Polavaram project was taken up in the newly formed Yetapaka revenue division which includes Yetapaka, Kunavaram, Vara Ramachandra (V.R.) Puram and Chinturu mandals.
According to Yetapaka Revenue Divisional Officer K. Narasimha Murthy, “in Devipatnam mandal of Rampachodavaram Agency area, revenue officials have completed implementation of R&R package in 41 habitation/villages out of 44 except Kondamodalu, Devipatnam and Ganugulagondi villages. We have given agriculture ‘land to land’, paid compensation and completed all the stipulated rules as per the new R&R Act”.
However, due to bifurcation, the Revenue officials of Telangana government have not taken up R&R works in the four mandals. “We have to start every thing afresh. There are 27 heads under the new Act which we have to comply and settle one after another. It may take at least six to seven months or more,” Mr. Murthy added.
According to the old records (2005) of the government about 1.07 lakh tribal are going to be affected in four mandals.
“This figure might increase by this year and I filed a petition before the Ministry of Environment and Forests for implementation of new R&R package to tribal of four mandals,” said Pentapati Pulla Rao, head of an NGO fighting for tribal rights.
According to official figures, around one lakh acres of agricultural lands would get submerged in as many as 276 villages in both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 121 villages would be submerged in Bhadrachalam division and 84 villages in Palwancha division in Khammam district. In East Godavari and West Godavari districts, the total number of affected villages will be 71. The Relief and Rehabilitation Policy states that the tribal people, who lose their fertile lands under any project, should be compensated with lands only.
However, the Revenue authorities are stating that the State government has instructed them to give compensation of Rs.5 lakh, per acre under land acquisition, but tribal farmers are demanding Rs. 7.5 lakh. Some NGOs in Chinturu and Yetapaka have started movement in all the villages in these mandals by organising awareness meeting on R&R package and its benefits.
