In a move to speed up the works on Gouravelli reservoir, the authorities have commenced socio-economic survey in Gudatipally village in Akkannpet mandal on Monday.
Details of families that own the 272 acres of land required for the construction of the reservoir are being collected by the officials. Details like Pattadar passbook, Aadhaar Card, voter ID card, bank account number, the number of youth that might be eligible for Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package are being collected. This is in continuation to the notification issued on June 4, 2021.
Though the villagers were repeatedly submitting memorandum to the authorities that the notification issued by the government for acquiring 272 acres will not stand good as it had lapsed and another notification need to be issued following the government decision on revision of land values was not heeded by the authorities.
“On two counts we are opposing this notification as well as socio-economic survey. One is that notification period has lapsed and hence new notification needs to be issued. Secondly, the government has issued orders revising land rates in Telangana. This has to be applied to the lands being acquired from our village. Though we have repeatedly submitted memorandum, the officials are not responding and they are going ahead with their work,” Gudatipally sarpanch Baddam Raji Reddy told The Hindu.
Gouravelli reservoir was initially proposed with a storage capacity of 1.4 tmc ft and administrative sanction accorded in 2007, while clearances from Environment and Forest department were obtained in 2003, Tribal Welfare department in 2004 and from Central Planning Commission in 2005. The land required for the proposed reservoir was 1,814 acres which was already acquired.
“The project capacity was increased to 8.4 tmc ft, despite the fact that permissions were not accorded to that extent. Hence, the proposed land acquisition will not stand good before the court of law. The authorities have to conduct social impact assessment and ascertain whether our land are really required or not. Primary notification has to be issued only after obtaining our consent,” Mr. Raji Reddy explained.
