The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Belgaum village caught between development and relocation

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Friday, May 16, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Belgaum village caught between development and relocation

Vijaykumar Patil

Government for shifting Nagnur P.K. village, but has taken up schemes there

It gets submerged every time the Krishna swells
Majority of the villagers not ready to move out

In a fix: Residents of Nagnur P.K. village in Athani taluk of Belgaum district wonder why development works are being taken up if the village is to be relocated. .

Nagnur P.K. (Belgaum District): In what the people of this chronically flood-prone village of Athani taluk describe as “strange,” the government has launched the special “Suvarna Gramodaya” scheme promised by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumarswamy with the objective of bringing overall improvement on the one hand and is conducting a survey for shifting the village to a safe location on the other.

Mr. Kumarswamy, who stayed in this village on August 5, 2006, declared that the village would be shifted to a safe place. The government would also implement the Suvarna Gramodaya scheme to bring in overall development, the residents told The Hindu.

This remote and sleepy village nestled on the banks of the Krishna will be partially submerged every time the river is in spate. The villagers had a nightmarish experience during rainy season in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Mr. Kumarswamy, who was on an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in the Krishna belt, used a boat to reach the village where he decided to stay put for the night. Subsequently, he announced to spend one night in a village to know more about the living conditions and development requirements of the people living in rural areas, which later took the shape of the “Gram vastavya” programme.

While addressing the villagers, village headman Anneppa Saudi said the Chief Minister had promised to shift the village and implement Suvarna Gramodaya scheme. But no official bothered to visit the village thereafter. However, the government recently took up a survey of number of houses and other structures to relocate the village near Radaratti within the taluk.

“If the government wants to shift the village, why should it implement the scheme,” asks Srishail Mathapati, a youth.

However, the zilla panchayat, which launched the scheme a few months ago, has taken up works on laying drainage lines recently. With the efforts of the former MLA Laxman Saudi, the height of Desar Halla Road was raised and a bridge constructed so that the link between the village and outside world remained intact even if there were floods in future.

Yet, the road has been completed last week in a hurried manner, thanks to elections, said another resident. But, no work had been taken up on the Nagnur-Avarkod and Nagnur-Satti roads. Though the zilla panchayat constructed new school building, teaching is limited to primary standards only.

But, Mr. Anneppa, whose family holds nearly 200 acres of fertile lands, says majority of the villagers, particularly who have good agricultural lands, are not prepared to move out of the village. Only the landless or those with small and marginal holdings may opt for relocation. The government has not decided on the extent of compensation to be given in the event of residents agreeing to relocate to a new place.

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