RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: In an effort to receive suitable compensation as part of their rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R), which the State government had promised long back, the oustees of the Mid Manair Dam (MMD) have decided to resume their protest from September 20. As part of this, the members of the MMD Joint Action Committee (JAC) will visit the villages where the families that were affected by the project live now and interact with them. According to sources, the JAC members have decided to spend two to three days in each village and learn about their problems in depth.
Speaking to Express, JAC president K Ravinder recalled that as many as 13 villages had submerged in MMD. “Though the authorities provided houses to many, several issues faced by the oustees have not been resolved yet. Many distressed persons are yet to receive compensation and jobs,” he said.
“Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao himself had promised to provide `5.04 lakh each, apart from double bedroom houses and jobs to youngsters, as compensation to all displaced families. After their houses submerged, as a result of which they migrated to the R&R colonies, most villagers lost their jobs. The government should establish one cottage industry each for every two villages to save them,” he added. According to sources, the JAC members have decided to prepare a comprehensive report on various issues faced by the displaced persons and will be sent to the Chief Minister, the Governor and the High Court.