VIJAYAWADA: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) submitted a scathing field visit report observing ‘inaction’ and ‘negligence attitude’ by the state authorities on the implementation of Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) of tribals affected by the Polavaram project.
The report was submitted to the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the secretary of Union water resources ministry and the director of Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) on September 13, 2021. In its observations, the constitutional body observed that the new habitations lacked basic amenities such as drainage systems, roads, drinking water, sanitation, burial ground and electricity. NCST stated that villages such as Yerravaram, Pedabhimunipalli–2 & 3 and P Narayanapuram had no proper roads and electricity.
Upon receiving complaints from residents on the “poor construction” of houses, the commission verified leakages from the ceiling and cracked walls. “It is also found that the kitchen rooms lack proper window for ventilation. Some of the houses are found without doors in Moolpeta village. The commission has come to know that all the project displaced families (PDFs) have got 379.25 square feet of land for housing,” the report submitted by NCST member Ananta Nayak reads. The report also points out that the land-to-land issue remains a major cause for concern raised by PDFs.
“Those who have received the land have complained that it is far away from their habitations and some others have pointed out that the land provided is revenue land which is not fit for cultivation,” the report added.
