Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Hectic activity at `model colony' site

G. Nagaraja

Work progressing under shadow of legal controversy

RAPID PROGRESS: Work in progress at the site of `model colony' proposed to be built for the tribal outstees of Indira Sagar Project near Polavaram in West Godavari district.

POLAVARAM : Work at the site of `model colony' proposed to be built by the Government for tribal oustees of Indira Sagar Project at Karmalpuram, 2 km away from Polavaram, was in progress under the shadow of a legal controversy.

The area witnessed hectic activity with a slew of earth-movers levelling the site and a host of workers engaged in construction activity on the eve of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's visit scheduled here on April 15.

Resettlement

Dr. Reddy is expected to interact with the project oustees in a bid to allay their fears about the Government's relief and resettlement package and lay the foundation stone for more `model colonies' during the visit. Collector Lav Agarwal reviewed the arrangements for the VVIP's visit on Monday night.

The district administration has proposed to construct model colonies for seven adivasi villages to be submerged by the project such as Devaragondi, Mamidigondi, Pidipaka, Chegondipalli, Singanapalli, Totagondi and Ramayyapet, all in Polavaram mandal. In first phase, it identified a site measuring 11.42 acres at Karmalpuram in the non-scheduled area for resettlement of the inhabitants of Mamidigondi (155) and Devaragondi (98) tribal hamlets.

The proposed `model colony' with a temple, church, school, panchayat office, community building, internal cement roads, drainage and protect water supply systems hardly enthuse the stake-holders. The lukewarm response from the outstees was manifest during the its recent bhoomi pooja with the boycott of tribals of Mamidigondi on the plea that the location would deprive them of access to forests.

Non-scheduled area

Consensus eludes the model colony project since the site chosen for its implementation falls under non-scheduled area. A writ petition was filed in the High Court by `Samata', an NGO, seeking to stall the "illegal" project.

Ravi Rebbapragada, the petitioner and Executive Director of Samata, contended that the proposal to shift tribals from scheduled to non-scheduled areas without the President's assent and permission from the statutory bodies like National SC and ST Commission and Tribal Welfare Departments was illegal and would deprive the tribals of their constitutional safeguards.

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