SRIKAKULAM: The displaced in the Vamsadhara project have been left high and dry. The deadline for vacating their village is already over and with the rents skyrocketing, they are struggling to find suitable accommodation.
“Though officials told us to vacate the village by December 16, I started searching for a rented house almost three months ago,” said Someswara Rao, a resident of Tulagam village, who was evicted. “I could get a rented house at LN Peta mandal’s headquarters, but the rent demanded by the owner was very high.
A year ago, the house rent was not more than Rs 500 and in most villages owners came forward to offer their vacant houses with a request that they be kept clean. But now, the rents have surged to a whopping Rs 6,000. Moreover, the house owners are asking for three months rent as advance,” Someswara lamented.
On December 16, as many as 688 families from Tulagam village had shifted to various places after eviction he added. “With no alternatives, I had to keep the furniture and other household items at our friend’s house and am continuing my search for a house,” said G Dhanunjaya Rao, who was ousted from Tulagam village.
Similarly, Kalingapatnam Rama Rao and Appanna said that they were still searching for a rented house. “As we could not afford the house rent in the vicinity of the Vamsadhara area, we had to set up sheds temporarily,” the duo said. The State government, as part of the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package, paid Rs 5 lakh each to as many as 1,582 project displaced families for construction of new houses.
Similarly, the government had issued pattas to the rest project displaced families at the R&R colonies besides paying Rs 53,000 for house construction. However, the eviction hit as many as 35,000 people from across the 20 project displaced villages. The district administration had evicted people from 18 villages so far. Palakonda RDO R.Gunnayya said, in an attempt to complete the project by the end of March 2018, work is being expedited. He also said that he would take the high rent issue to the notice of higher ups very soon.
Facts And Figures
35,000 People displaced by the project
688 families from Tulagam village were shifted on Dec 16
Rs 5 lakh Paid by the State to 1,582 displaced families
20 villages to be affected by eviction