“Did we commit a mistake by signing the papers even before the promises were fulfilled? Why is the government failing to keep the promise made by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao? If the promise made by the Chief Minister has no sanctity then who else can we approach? The work for construction of reservoir are covering our village with heavy dust and what can we do?” asked Manipavan Reddy.
Mr. Reddy was one among the several villagers who was on agitation path for the past one week.
They have stopped the project work all around the village. The villagers politely told the supervisors of the field staff not to proceed further as the promises made to them were not yet fulfilled. He says that trusting Chief Minister was a mistake and nothing short of poking their own eyes blind.
Villagers adamant
The agitation that began at this village has fast spread to the neighbouring Thanedarpally, Thanedarpally tanda and Mamidyala villages. The project work has already been stalled in these villages and the efforts made by Special Officer Gajwel Area Development Authority (GADA) M. Hanumantha Rao and Mulugu Tahsildar Nagamani have failed. The agitators were not ready to hear them and instead told them that their patience was already exhausted and they cannot wait any more.
The farmers of these villages have sold their lands to the government for the construction of Kondapochamma reservoir for ₹ 12 lakh per acre as proposed by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Low priority
“The Chief Minister has promised three head of cattle to each family, easy loans for those eligible for purchasing tractors with subsidy and several other benefits during the meeting with villagers last year. He has also told us that we would be asked to vacate the village only after constructing and handing over the keys to houses. But what is happening is quite contrary,” another villager M. Chandram said. “Every time we meet him the Collector says that all the promises made by the Chief Minister would be be fulfilled. While the irrigation work is progressing fast, the works for the construction of houses is not moving at all,” he added.
The police have also warned the agitators, from these villages, not to stop work at Pamulaparthy and Markuk, where work is going on at present. The residents of those villages were not worried as only some part of the village lands would be getting submerged which would ensure irrigation for the rest of the village lands.
