SIDDIPET: The oustees of Gouravelli reservoir are preparing to file nominations for the Husnabad Assembly seat in Siddipet district in protest against the police for registering non-bailable cases against 17 people and sending them to jail for seeking fair compensation in lieu of surrendering their houses and lands for the construction of the irrigation project.
They said that four oustees who spent 42 days in prison had suffered severe mental distress while 13 others are facing non-bailable cases. All of them will file nomination papers in Husnabad segment.Sarpanch Baddam Raji Reddy of Gudatipally, a submergence village of the reservoir, and Ragi Srinivas, an oustee who spent 42 days in jail, said they would be contesting in the elections.
Speaking to TNIE, Srinivas said that along with him, B Sakru, Baddam Shankar Reddy and A Tirupati Reddy were also in jail for 42 days. All those who are in jail and who are facing police cases are said to be contesting to defeat BRS sitting MLA V Satish Kumar.He said that the people of the villages submerged by the Gauravelli reservoir never opposed the construction of the project and only sought rehabilitation and resettlement under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
As the government ignored their plea, they are contesting the elections as it is the only way the authorities would understand their problem. They said that they wanted payment of compensation and allotment of double bedroom houses as was done in respect of Mallannasagar and Kondapochamma oustees.They alleged that BRS MLA Satish Kumar was not helping them in any way.
Apart from that, the oustees said that financial assistance of Rs 7.5 lakh and 250 sq yards of plots were given to those who attained 18 years of age under Mallanna Sagar and Konda Pochamma reservoir and wanted the same benefit to be extended to them.
He said the officials paid Rs 6 lakh per acre to only a few people of their choice. Ragi Srinivas, who is contesting in the election, said that the government has not given the R&R package to about 140 young men and women who have reached the age of 18 and whose villages went under Gouravelli reservoir.