Minister Thummala wants humanitarian perspective in removing encroachments

he said that encroachments on government lands, nalas and drains should be removed only after the poor people who encroached upon the property were provided with alternate houses elsewhere.

Khammam: Even as the Congress government was madly razing structures for Musi riverfront project, besides demolitions by HYDRAA in Hyderabad, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao has a different take to razing of structures.

Speaking at a programme here on Tuesday he said that encroachments on government lands, nalas and drains should be removed only after the poor people who encroached upon the property were provided with alternate houses elsewhere.

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The construction work and the encroachments removal should start if only the affected families were properly accommodated. While removing the encroachments on the canals and watercourses, there should be a humanitarian perspective, Nageswara Rao stated.

He suggested that it was the responsibility of local corporators and leaders in their respective divisions to discuss with the concerned families and convince them for rehabilitation. It was not advisable to remove encroachments at will as it could affect the lives of the poor, he averred.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was asked to appoint an expert committee to study and redesign the proposed retaining wall alongside Munneru stream in Khammam. There should be a proper design to channel flood flow in the right course without any scope for inundation in the city, he added.