Left parties, Adivasi associations, and political parties on Friday resolved to launch an agitation in Vijayawada on July 5, in order to ‘expose the State government’s silence and negligence towards the families displaced by the Polavaram project, and in settling the Resettlement and Rehabilitation package’.
On Friday, the all-party leaders from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh kick-started a two-day field inspection in the habitations that are facing the threat of submergence due to the closure of the cofferdam at the Polavaram project site.
Led by CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna and CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu, the participants toured the three mandals of Chintoor, V.R. Puram, and Kunavaram in Chintoor Agency in East Godavari district.
Mr. Ramakrishna spoke to The Hindu over phone. “On July 5, we will expose the State government’s failure to guarantee decent living conditions for the affected families through the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Package. All Adivasi associations will participate in the Deeksha,” he said.
“It is heartrending that affected families had to flee from their habitations for fear of their life. A majority of them have already erected temporary shelters on the hilltops to escape from the backwaters. A humanitarian gesture is the need of the hour from the State government to avoid any untoward incidents during the Godavari flood", observed Mr. Ramakrishna.
The leaders were greeted by the affected families, seeking a war-footing initiative only to survive the ensuing flood in the Godavari.
In his address to the participants and affected families, Mr. Madhu has stated; "We will no longer wait to see the government setting aside the task of completing the R&R package. The resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced families equally be given the priority to claim completion of the project. We are prepared to be put behind bars but will not remain calm on the delay to settle the R&R package". "The field visit is not an exercise to politicize the issue but to witness the ground reality", added Mr. Madhu.
On Saturday, the leaders will visit Kukkunuru and Velerupadu mandals to document the existing status of the displaced families and the government's initiative. CPM Chintoor Division Secretary M. Durga Prasad and other left party leaders participated in the visit.
