VIJAYAWADA: With the completion of works related to rehabilitation and resettlement (R and R) colonies of Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) taking more time than expected, the state government is contemplating to provide temporary rehabilitation to the project-displaced families (PDFs), who live in submergence prone villages, in case the works are not concluded by the end of June as floods begin in July.
An interdepartmental meeting, to be chaired by chief secretary Aditya Nath Das, is likely to be held shortly to review the land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LARR) aspects.While the headworks of PIP are happening at a jet speed, R and R works have missed several deadlines so far due to various reasons, including fund crunch. The officials have been rehabilitating the PDFs of first phase (+41.15m contour) of the project in a phased manner and targeted to complete all the colonies by the end of June.
But, it is expected to go on until July. “We are focusing on expeditious completion of R and R colonies. We are aiming to complete them by the end of June. Even if it goes up to July, there will not be a problem. In case of any exigencies which may lead to any delay, we will temporarily rehabilitate the PDF,” a senior official explained.
For the record, a total of five mandals would be affected, in which 115 habitations are there, in the first phase. A total of 73 R and R colonies are being developed and 27 have been completed so far. A total of 3,601 PDFs have been rehabilitated so far and 17,269 more are to be moved.
“A total of 12,963 housing units, being constructed by Roads and Buildings, AP Education and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation, AP State Housing Corporation, Panchayat Raj and Tribal Welfare departments, were sanctioned. Most of them have attained significant progress. The works related to building infrastructure, CC roads and drains in the colonies have to be expedited,” another official noted.
A total of 825 buildings, 2.8 lakh metres of CC roads and 5.2 lakh metres of CC drains are to be completed and most of them are still in the preliminary stage. It may be recalled that AP High Court has recently asked the government not to relocate the PDFs without the completion of colonies.