Parliament on Monday passed a Bill to facilitate the transfer of 205 villages spread across seven mandals in the newly formed State of Telangana to the residual State of Andhra Pradesh for the multipurpose Polavaram irrigation project.
The Bill, approved by the Lok Sabha last week, was opposed by members of the Rajya Sabha from Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh on the plea that it would cause unwarranted displacement of 52,000 Scheduled Caste families from the three States.
CPI member D. Raja suggested that the new Land Acquisition Act be applied for resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected people.
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Countering the argument of those opposed to the Bill, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government had not violated any constitutional norm while bringing the Bill. He assured the House that the Centre would take all possible steps for rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people.
Congress member Jairam Ramesh, one of the key ministers of the former UPA government who oversaw the creation of Telangana, got into a heated exchange with the members of his own party from Telangana over the Bill.
“This is an important commitment made by the erstwhile UPA government which has been continued by the present government. The continuity in policy reflects democratic politics.”
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“I have no hesitation in saying that the amendment Bill moved by the present government is word by word same as decided on March 1. Contours of the draft made by UPA-II have been included in the Bill,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Mr. Ramesh was repeatedly interrupted by his party colleagues V. Hanumantha Rao and Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu as also TRS member K. Keshava Rao.
“I do not need sermons from my colleagues from Telangana. This decision was taken in difficult circumstances. Please remember, the issue of Hyderabad was a litmus test for Telangana. For Andhra Pradesh, this project is an emotional issue,” he maintained.
Speaking in favour of the Bill, C.M. Ramesh (TDP) accused the TRS of taking “political mileage” out of the project. Opposing the Bill, Renuka Chowdary (Congress) demanded an alternative solution as the project would displace lakhs of tribals and inundate several taluks. “The entire Bhadrachalam town and the temple of Lord Ram will also be submerged,” she said.