HYDERABAD: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) on Tuesday demanded equitable compensation and rehabilitation measures for the land oustees affected by the Shivannagudem and Krishna Rayapalli reservoirs under the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS).
A fact-finding team from the HRF, which conducted a thorough investigation into issue, highlighted the dire circumstances the residents of the displaced villages are currently facing. The affected villages include Laxmanapur, Edhulagandi, Charlagudem, and Narsireddy Gudem, all situated within the Munugode Assembly constituency and most of the residents of these villages depend on agriculture for their livelihood. These communities once thrived on the abundant natural resources available in the region, which have now been severed from their access the HRF report said.
The HRF team pointed out that the compensation provided by the government, which amounts to Rs 5.15 lakh, was insufficient for these farmers to purchase even 10 per cent of their former land holdings. The team, comprising S Jeevan Kumar, V Vasantha Lakshmi, Dr S Tirupataiah, and Ch Guruvaiah, stated: “No lands, no work and no housing sum up the plight of these oustees. Even if the government provides them housing, they couldn’t sustain their livelihoods through agricultural production, resorting to meager daily wage jobs instead.”
The demands put forth by the HRF include the allocation of two acres of land, the construction of residential houses, and financial assistance.