Japanese multi-national firm Sumitomo Corporation has reportedly asked the Andhra Pradesh government to minimise evacuation of people for the proposed 4,000 MW ultra critical super thermal project in Polaki mandal.
The company said it won’t accept evacuation of more than 200 families from the proposed area as it did not want to disturb lives of people since everyone would have attachment with their native places. Japan government takes utmost care whenever it acquires land from locals in their country since it does not want to disturb the locals to benefit others. The company insists for the application of same principle in Polaki mandal although the company got satisfied with the proposed land.
The district administration, which has been facing protests from local people over the project, now came up a new proposal to minimise land acquisition for the project. The government has 1,300 acres of its own land. Only 300 acres of private land would be acquired for the project. With the suggestion from the Japanese company, the government has decided to minimise the land acquisition to 1,650 acres from 3,000 acres. It has also estimated that only 300 families would have to vacate the villages with the revised plan. The officials are hopeful that the Japanese company would come forward to set up its power plant here.
MP Kinjarapu Rammohan hailed the Japanese company’s concern for the villagers. Their gesture had touched everyone and made the administration to take extra care in implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement plan for the villagers. “Cooperation of villagers is need of the hour since development of the district is possible only when such companies invest in backward districts,” he added. Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Federation vice president G. Sambasiva Rao told The Hindu that government could also find a permanent solution when it would effectively convince the locals for the benefits with the establishment of the projects.
“A few influential people are misleading people by provoking gullible people. It is unfortunate that a few retired bureaucrats are also doing it for their own project,” he added.
However, villagers in Thotada, Rallapalli, and Susaram feared that more evacuation since government did not have 1,300 acres as claimed by revenue authorities.
Only 300 families likely to be evacuated as per the revised proposals
