Won’t back down even if cops beat us: Gouravelli project Oustees

It may be noted that a delegation of oustee representatives and Congress leaders met Finance Minister T Harish Rao to discuss their issues, on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Harish Rao interacts with the representatives of the Gouravelli project oustees.
Finance Minister Harish Rao interacts with the representatives of the Gouravelli project oustees.

SIDDIPET: Oustees from Gudatipally village said they won’t stop the agitation until all displaced persons get the compensation assured to them by the government. They said they won’t back down from claiming their rightful dues even if they are beaten by the police or booked. It may be noted that a delegation of oustee representatives and Congress leaders met Finance Minister T Harish Rao to discuss their issues, on Wednesday.

Instead of respecting the law of the land, the government has been displaying apathy and rejecting their demands. Oustees said that despite the orders from the High Court and the National Green Tribunal asking authorities to not carry out the work on the Gauravelly reservoir, the officials are not only conducting a trial run but also conducting survey work for the construction of the canals without giving them the compensation.

Oustees said they have been on a relay hunger strike in the village for the past 80 days, but the government has almost ignored them. They said the police treated them brutally, pushed women and beat them for asking for the compensation they deserve.

They said they would file contempt cases against the Husnabad Circle Inspector as well as the police department for insulting women and abusing them and also lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

Gudatipally Sarpanch Raji Reddy, incidentally one of the persons who met Harish later on Wednesday, said the government was reluctant on helping them out for the sake of ‘lakhs of families’, referring to the State government’s claim that lakhs of people would benefit from the project.

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