Mahabubnagar: Farmers not to allow Udandapur Reservoir works until payment of compensation

The farmers made it clear that until compensation was not paid to them, they would not allow the government to take up construction works.

Mahabubnagar: Farmers of Udandapur village who lost their lands to the Udandapur Reservoir, which is being constructed as part of Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRRLI) Project, have warned that they will not allow the government to carry out the works of the project until compensation was paid to them.

The farmers alleged that they were summoned to Jadcharla police station on Tuesday and threatened that if they create trouble during the visit of Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy‘s visit to Gattu Lift Irrigation Scheme on Wednesday, cases would be booked against them. The farmers made it clear that until compensation was not paid to them, they would not allow the government to take up construction works. They alleged that the police did not allow them to meet Uttam Kumar Reddy during his visit on Wednesday to highlight their issues.

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Jadcherla Congress MLA Janampalli Anirudh Reddy, during the assembly polls had promised to get them Rs.25 lakh as compensation if the Congress came to power and now he had gone back on his promise, they said.

“The Congress party has deceived us. We thought that if Congress comes to power, justice will be done. They used us to come to power,” they said, pointing out that they would suffer huge financial losses by giving up their lands and the compensation offered was not sufficient enough to buy a piece of land. They are demanding more compensation than what is being offered by the government.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao at Bhootpur on June 11, 2015. The State government also issued a notification to acquire land for the construction of Udandapur reservoir the same year. The BRS government had allocated about Rs.100 crore for the relief and rehabilitation of the oustees. However, the officials have so far paid the compensation to some of the farmers while making half of the payments to other oustees. Those who have not received the payments for their lands and not given the right assurances for their rehabilitation are now on the protest path and demanding the government to immediately resolve their issues first and then begin the project works.

For the Udandapur reservoir, the State government had acquired nearly 2,000 acres under Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS). While it paid compensation to 90 per cent of farmers, the remaining 10 percent of oustees are yet to get the aid.