Officials of the Irrigation Department and the agency undertaking work for the Kondapochamma Reservoir were forced to beat a hasty retreat from Thanedarpally village on Thursday with the villagers not willing to allow them to begin work without promises being fulfilled.
According to a resident of the village, Gundla Karunakar Goud, the officials came to the Thanedarpally, in Mulugu mandal, to take up the Kondapochamma reservoir works. But the villagers objected stating that the promises made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao were not fulfilled so far and they would not allow any works till the promises were fulfilled.
CM’s promise
Under the proposed Kondapochamma reservoir three villages — Thanedarpally, Mamidyal and Bahilampur — would be submerged.
The land oustees appeared to be influenced by the ongoing protest by residents of Vemulaghat demanding compensation under Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act – 2013.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, in whose constituency Thanedarpally falls, took the initiative and on July 7, invited the residents of affected villages to his farmhouse at Erravalli and promised to pay ₹12 lakh per acre and allot two bedroom houses to the oustees.
No move yet
“The compensation was not paid for the lands which were assigned in the past. Similarly, cost of borewells and other assets were not paid and we do not know when we would be paid. Further, no effort has been made by the government for the construction of double bedroom houses, a promise given by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao. Where should we go from the village without getting an alternate accommodation? What will be our fate if we vacate the village?” asked Mr. Karunakar.
“We have asked the officials to produce the stay order issued by the High Court against the orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT),” said Mulugu MPP B. Venkataram Reddy.
