MAHABUBNAGAR: The Srisailam project land oustees bring us to fore government order (GO) No. 98. The GO is meant for providing jobs to the oustees and they have been fighting for getting them. However, their efforts could not yield any result due to lack of response from those in power. The hopes of the victims that they would get jobs after the formation of the Telangana State have also been dashed off.
The prolonging issue has turned into a poll issue. It is likely to have an impact on the victory of the contesting candidates in Kollapur, Wanaparthy, Alampur and Mahbubnagar Assembly constituencies. The congress party leader Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy, YCP G Rambhoopal Reddy and the president of Telangana Navanirmana Vedika, Muralidhar Gupta have been fighting to get justice for those displaced by the Srisailam project. The project was built in 1981 and has affected at least 67 neighbouring villages. It has displaced 11,000 families and a total of 27,000 people.
In the year, 1986, after NT Rama Rao became the chief minister, he issued orders to rehabilitate all those displaced. He paid Rs17.90 crore to the victims as compensation. The government also promised to provide houses to the victims but has spent only Rs 2.90 crore so far which has left the oustees fuming. Some of the victims were employed in the same Srisailam project but not until 1992. However, only the residents of Kurnool got the jobs.
A total of 2435 eligible applicants applied for the jobs so far. The former Andhra Pradesh CM provided jobs to only 143 victims under the GO No. 68.Speaking on the issue, Muralidhar Gupta said, “The victims have been fighting for the last 30 years to get the jobs promised to them. They should now give the jobs,” he said.