Srikakulam : Describing the event of payment of first cheque as compensation to the oustees of Stage 11 of Phase 11 of Vamsadhara project as a `mile stone' in the long history of the project, Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasada Rao on Friday said that the sacrifices of oustees would be remembered by the posterity.

Farmers were sentimentally attachment to the land and its loss could never be adequately compensated and what the Government did was to pay money for the loss of land and see that the oustees were rehabilitated properly.

The Minister asserted that the RR package of his Government was the best in the entire country.

Poverty

The only way to tackle poverty was to strengthen the agriculture sector by providing irrigation facilities. That was the reason his Government had taken up the `jala yagnam' programme. The heart-rending plight of farmers had an indelible effect on Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy during his padayatra that was undertaken before elections. He had wanted do some thing to ameliorate the hardship of farmers and the result was `jalayagnam'. It was given top priority by Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy's Government and money would not be allowed to come in the way of speedy execution of irrigation projects in the State, Mr. Prasada Rao asserted.

The Minister had a dig at the TDP leaders who were on a `padayatra' demanding execution of irrigation projects in the Telenagan area. `For nine years the TDP leaders had never bothered to execute irrigation projects," the Minister said.

Collector A. Koteswara Rao urged oustees not to entertain any middlemen, including officials, for getting compensation. He said he would ensure them the best compensation within the framework of the RR package.

Joint Collector M. Veerabrahamaiah said that so far the quantum of compensation was settled in respect of 1,400 acres and such lands had been handed over to officials to commence work at Singidi, Parapuram and Kollivalasa.

In all Rs.12.39 crores would be paid for 954 acres of land. At present Rs.20 crores was available for payment and the Government was already asked for release of more funds for land acquisition. The Land Acquisition Officer of Vamsadhara project and Revenue Divisional Officer, Palakonda, P.M.J. Babu proposed a vote of thanks.

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