New Hurusgundigi village near Shahpur in Yadgir district was set up to resettle those who lived in the flood-prone Hurusgundigi village. However, lack of infrastructure and delay in releasing land rights to 30 beneficiaries and compensation for 155 families have been its bane.
Hurusgundigi was identified as a village prone to flooding after the construction of Sannati Barrage constructed across Bhima river near Chittapur taluk in Kalaburagi district to irrigate 16,000 hectares of the dry areas in Yadgir, Gurmitkal and Chittapur taluks. The shifting of about 670 houses began in 2011.
According to residents, 120 acres of the land was purchased for rehabilitation and 940 land right records were distributed. Money was given to build 670 houses. But, there was delay in releasing compensation to 155 houses. Worse, infrastructure at the rehabilitation village was woefully inadequate.
“Discrimination in fixing compensation for those who lost homes has also caused anger among residents, many of whom do not wish to relocate at all now,” Harish, a resident, said.
Other affected villages
Similar is the story of Roja village in Shahpur taluk and Shivapur of Yadgir taluk, both affected by Sannati Barrage. Revenue Minister R. Ashok and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, who recently visited the village, also promised to shift the village.
Shafi Ahmed, a disillusioned resident of Roja, said, “Our demand from several years to shift the village is still not fulfilled. We see politicians only during floods and not after, ” he said.
People at Shivapur told The Hindu that they had again appealed to Prabhu Chavan, district in-charge Minister, to shift them to a safe place, a promise made a decade ago. Like every year, they were only shifted to a temporary shelter this year too.
Officials say the process is being delayed because of absence of government land and they would start the process after purchasing private land.
