VIJAYAWADA: The National Monitoring Committee for Rehabilitation and Resettlement (NMCRR) on Thursday ordered the state government to submit a report addressing the concerns of the displaced residents at Polavaram project area.
Hearing a plea filed by social activist Pentapati Pulla Rao, the NMCRR reviewed the implementation of Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) schemes for various projects, including that of Polavaram at a virtual meeting. The representatives from the AP government stated that they have so far rehabilitated 5,000 people and assured to further add 15,000 more to the tally in the next two months with R&R colonies already being set up.
The state government explained that they would be completing the R&R for the remaining residents by the end of next year. Pulla Rao’s petition alleged forcible eviction of tribal people from the Polavaram project area without appropriate compensation and implementation of the R&R package.
In this regard, Rao also recently wrote to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), pleading to revive his case related to the rights of the tribal people in view of the non-fulfilment of their mandatory requirements by the state government.
Rao also alleged that the upstream cofferdam has caused water stagnation across 50 tribal hamlets in East and West Godavari districts forcing tribals to leave the place in the wake of submergence issues. The NMCRR sought to provide fair rehabilitation to Polavaram victims.
