The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Farmers anxious about PCSS’s utility

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Monday, Nov 23, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Farmers anxious about PCSS’s utility

S. Harpal Singh

‘We need water for 50,000 acres in each of the five mandals in Sirpur constituency’

-PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH

Ambitious plans: The foundation stone laid last year by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy overlooks the site where the barrage of the Pranahita project is slated to come up.

TUMMIDI HATTI (ADILABAD DT.): Despite steps having been initiated to the contrary, farmers in Adilabad district who have a proximity to the ambitious Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevelle Sujaja Sravanthi (PCSS) lift irrigation scheme, harbour apprehensions about its utility. “Ma ku ekkuva neelisthene labham untundi,” observes Jadi Anand Rao, summing up the feelings of people in his village Ranvelli gram panchayat in Koutala mandal of which he is the sarpanch.

Water requirement

“We need water for 50,000 acres in each of the five mandals in Sirpur constituency. Unless this demand is met there is no question of allowing any water from the PCSS to flow out of the district,” warns K. Sammaiah, local MLA, about the mood of the people.

In order to address the anxiety of farmers the government had increased the ayacut to about 1.57 lakh acres which does not meet the expectations of the locals. And, experts have ruled out any further addition to the ayacut based on technical feasibility.

The question of compensation to the lands that will be submerged under the barrage and the canals has also become a major cause of worry to the farmers at present.

“We demand Rs. 5 lakh as compensation per acre for over 300 acres of land identified so far in our mandal.

The government is offering very less at just over Rs. 1 lakh,” says Rajitha, the Mandal Parishad President of Bejjur. “In my gram panchayat about 10 farmers are set to lose their entire land holding thereby losing their only means to livelihood. Keeping this in mind the government should grant good compensation for the 323 acres that it intends to acquire for the PCSS canal,” urges Mr. Anand Rao.

Compensation

Adilabad Joint Collector G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar has recently offered compensation of Rs. 1.15 lakh per acre of the land being acquired in Ranvelli gram panchayat whereas the farmers have demanded Rs. 1.5 lakh per acre.

Poreth Charandas, the sarpanch of Tummid Hatti where the barrage across the Pranahita river is coming up also urges the government for liberal compensation for the nearly 600 acres being acquired for the project estimated to cost a whopping Rs. 38,500 crore.

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