R&R package for Polavaram to be discussed in Gadkari’s Dec 26 meet

VIJAYAWADA:   Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu attended a meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday to review the progress of the Polavaram project. Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, Visakhapatnam MP and BJP leader Kambhampati Hari Babu, AP Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas, Visakhapatnam MLA Vishnu Kumar, Rajahmundry MLA Akula Satyanarayana and other higher officials attended the meeting. Issues regarding Polavaram and possible solutions were discussed in the meeting. 

Gadkari clarified doubts raised by other members. He said a review meeting would be held on December 26 at Rajamahendravaram. He also said the Central government will continue its support to the State government for completing the project at the earliest.Meanwhile, former MP and CPI leader M Babu Rao said it would be better if the Centre thinks about the R&R package along with the construction of Polavaram. He appealed Gadkari to give focus on the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Project-affected people during his review meeting on December 26.“The housing scheme which was  started for 1,300 families in 2005 has not been completed yet. When will the government be able to provide housing for 85,000 families,” he asked.

“While lakhs of rupees were given as compensation for the landlords who gave land for Amaravati, the Polavaram-affected are yet to get any compensation. Our main demand is to form a special committee for Polavaram, like CRDA for Amaravati,” he said.“If this project gets completed, 480 villages of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh will be flooded and 83,000 families will become homeless. It is unlawful and unethical to go ahead with the project, without providing shelter to them,” he said.

Rehabilitation and resettlement committee members Leena Nair and G Latha Krishna Rao, who visited Polavaram site last month, had said they were satisfied with the provisions for rehabilitation and compensation for migrant villagers. The committee has sent report to the Water Resource Ministry. It will be discussed during the December 26 meeting.