Harish Rao asks Revanth Reddy to ensure justice to Mallanna Sagar oustees

Says about 90 per cent of the relief and rehabilitation works completed during BRS tenure

HYDERABAD: Demanding Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to fulfil the promises made to Mallanna Sagar oustees, former Minister T Harish Rao wanted the Congress government to complete the balance relief and rehabilitation (R&R) package works at the earliest.

The senior BRS MLA, in a letter to the Chief Minister on Saturday, reminded the latter that he had staged a protest at Kishtapur and assured to support the displaced people. During the BRS tenure, about 90 per cent of the R&R package, including construction of rehabilitation colonies, house plots and basic amenities were completed and provided to the oustees. It has been one year and the remaining 10 per cent of the works were pending, he said.

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As per the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, which was implemented by the Congress government, there was a provision to provide only 121 yards of house plot and Rs 1.25 lakh to the displaced people during the construction of the Mallanna Sagar reservoir.

However, BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao had decided to provide better compensation to the displaced people. Under the R&R package, each displaced person was offered 250 yards plot near Gajwel town, Rs 5.04 lakh for house construction and Rs 7.50 lakh as compensation. Along with the package, R&R colonies were built and almost all the facilities were provided in phases by the BRS government continues. Towards this, Rs.1,260 crore was spent, he explained.

Further, the High Court had recently ruled that widows in the flooded villages should also be considered as families and extended benefits under the package. Mallanna Sagar reservoir provides irrigation water to lakhs of acres and aids in addressing the drinking water issues of many areas, including Hyderabad. This apart, the State government was also relying on Mallanna Sagar to divert River Godavari waters into the River Musi. It is also learnt that tenders were also being floated to divert 20 TMC of water from the reservoir to Hyderabad, the former Minister said.

“You (Revanth Reddy) criticised that Kaleshwaram project was useless. But the State government is relying on Mallanna Sagar reservoir, which is an integral part of the Kaleshwaram project, for water,” Harish Rao said.

“While in the opposition, the Congress had demanded better compensation for the displaced people. Now, as the Chief Minister, it is your responsibility to fulfil the promise made to the displaced people and offer more compensation,” he demanded.