Mallannasagar, the big dream of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to construct 50 tmcft capacity reservoir as part of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), was realised and the Godavari is being pumped for the past one week without any hindrance. All the oustees were vacated. But the question of paying compensation to the oustees is looming large with some of them stalling works in the name of compensation due to them and the authorities are not responding despite repeated appeals.
On Saturday, some oustees of Rampur stalled work of Mallannasagar, saying some payments were due to them and the amount was not being released despite repeated appeals. “About 10 people in the village are yet to receive compensation. That includes Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) and for house structures as well. The standard answer from officials was ‘come tomorrow’ whenever we approached them. Payment was yet to be made for five house structures followed by ₹5.04 lakh for construction of house for two families and R&R package for four families. The oustees recently approached the MLA who contacted the officials. It is the Collector who is to take a final decision,” said Mr. Anjaneyulu, an oustee from Rampur village.
Similar was the case of Tukkapur villagers who stalled works a day earlier. The oustees were reportedly promised a higher payment for losing their lands but the amount was not released, this time purportedly by the construction agency.
“We have met the authorities several times, to no avail. I do not have trust in them and they may get transferred. Please tell me when you are going to pay,” was what a man was telling the representatives of a construction agency in a video that went viral.
