CPI (M) district secretary T. Arun and CPI district secretary T. Madhu on Monday lamented that the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) exercise of the Polavaram irrigation project was likely to take two more decades for completion if the annual allocations from the Centre are any indication.
In a joint press conference here, they said more than one lakh families would be displaced by the Polavaram irrigation project in the Godavari agency and the neighbouring Odisha. “The construction of the cofferdam was causing the submergence of several habitations in Devipatnam mandal. The project is being termed as ‘lifeline’ only during the elections, they said. “The BJP leaders should realise their failure and negligence in fulfilling their commitment to allocate funds for the R&R exercise,” they said.
Roundtable
The two Left parties would conduct a State-level roundtable conference on the displacement of the tribals and implementation of the R&R package, in Rajamahendravaram on March 23. CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna, former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar, AP Special Category Status (SCS) Sadhana Samithi president Ch. Srinivas and tribal leaders would take part in the meet.
