MALKANGIRI: Tribal villagers of Motu tehsil have blamed the State Government for the delay in conducting a public hearing on the controversial multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project in the affected villages.
This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of Odisha’s plea to stop ongoing work on the project in Andhra Pradesh and its direction to conduct a public hearing and furnish detailed information about areas to be submerged including the number of people affected.
Accusing the officials of Motu tehsil and the State Government for not informing them about the recent order of the apex court on Polavaram and its refusal to stay the ongoing works, villagers of Muraliguda said public hearing should be conducted in the affected areas to help people put forth their grievances and get suitable compensation for the loss.
“We want suitable compensation for the loss of our land. The Government has no option now but to organise public hearings after the SC order,” said 34-year old Jaga Katam of Muraliguda, who owns at least 50 acres of land.
Echoing similar views, 40-year-old Pade Madkami and 42-year old Katam Lachha of the village urged the Government to hold a public hearing in Muraliguda immediately before it is too late. Muraliguda is home to 200 Koya families.
Situated some four km away from Muraliguda is Peta village which is also going to be submerged due to Polavaram project. Peta has a population of 2,000. Thirty-year-old Matam Sube of Peta said, “We prefer to go to a better place and settle there if a suitable compensation package, as given to our AP counterparts, is extended to us for the loss of our parental home, land and cattle.” He demanded that the Odisha Government should conduct public hearings in all the affected villages and take the opinion of villagers on compensation.
Kalimela block BJD vice-president AD Devdanam, who is based in Motu, said, “After the apex court verdict, we are left with no other alternative but to conduct public hearings in all the affected villages. The affected people in Odisha should be given double the compensation provided in AP.”
While Odisha claims that 15 villages under Motu tehsil are going to be affected by Polavaram, the AP Government says only eight villages - Alma, Barribacha, Binyakpur, Kotaguda, Motu, Muraligudam, Peta and Pinamadiguda - will be submerged. Sources said at least 862 persons of Motu village, 560 of Petta, 480 of MPV-78 village and 474 of Binayakpur will be affected due to the project.