Vamsadhara: ‘displaced families denied fair deal’

Will raise the issue in Parliament, say Raja and Sampath

D. Raja addressing the Vamsadhara-displaced persons at Hiramandalam in Srikakulam district on Saturday.

More than 5,000 families who are affected by the Vamsadhara project are being forced to vacate their villages even before paying them compensation and addressing their genuine grievances, according to CPI(M) MP A. Sampath and CPI Rajya Sabha leader D. Raja.

The two leaders on Saturday visited Padali, Tulagam, Duggupuram, and other villages of Hiramandalam and Kotturu to know about the plight of the Project Displaced Families (PDFs).

The police, who used to arrest those wanting to visit the villages, however, permitted the high-profile public representatives to interact with the villagers.

This provided the local leaders of the Left parties an opportunity to follow and explain them the plight of the villagers. After interacting with leaders such as Ch. Narasinga Rao and Chapara Sundarlal, both Mr. Sampath and Mr. Raja promised to take up the issue in the next session of Parliament.

“The Andhra Pradesh Government has been using its power to forcibly relocate the villagers to the R&R colonies without creating proper infrastructure there. A majority of them have been denied an opportunity to explain their grievances. We will certainly raise the issue in Parliament and make the government follow the rules and regulations,” said Mr. Sampath.

Mr. Raja asked the cadre of the Left parties to expose the “undemocratic” methods being adopted in the project area. He also expressed concern over detaining local party leaders in jail for more than a month after their arrest.

CPI(M) senior leaders Chowdary Tejeswara Rao and Bhaviri Krishna Murthy urged the MPs to ensure payment of compensation to the displaced families as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. The villagers were being forced to accept compensation as per the rates fixed a decade ago, they alleged.