The government had identified 650 families in two coastal hamlets in the Machilipatnam deep sea port area in Krishna district for rehabilitation, said Law Minister K. Ravindra.
Mr. Ravindra on Sunday told The Hindu that 400 families from Campbellpeta and 250 from Pallepalem would be rehabilitated.
Villagers consent
“Villagers from the two hamlets need to be rehabilitated since they could be affected by pollution once the port is operational,” added Mr. Ravindra. Majority of the families are engaged in fishing or agriculture.
“The families were apprised of conditions for rehabilitation and they agreed to it. They will be rehabilitated as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,” said Mr. Ravindra.
Villagers would be rehabilitated in a way so as to ensure their livelihoods and the construction of port were not affected, he said, adding, “Preliminary survey of the two hamlets has been completed.”
The Machilipatnam Urban Development Authority would take up the rehabilitation. Unless the families were rehabilitated, transfer of government land (3000 acres) from the Department of Ports to the project developer (Navayuga group) would not possible, hobbling the construction of the port. The deadline for the completion of the port with four berths is August 2020. The port is likely to be commissioned by early 2021.
