Road-widening victims feel cheated in Nandyal

KURNOOL: The road widening operation launched recently in Nandyal town has caused problems to many residents but interestingly both YSR Congress and Telugu Desam leaders are tight-lipped over the injustice done to the victims. Neither party appears to be in a position to voice any concern for the victims with police being deployed to curtail any protest by the victims.

Activists have apparently been silenced with the threat of them being implicated in cases. Deccan Chronicle tried to speak to political parties and rights activists but they were afraid to express their opinion. Observers note that such a situation does not mean that all is well at Nandyal. They point out that with half of the Cabinet stationed at Nandyal and police pressed into service, democratic culture is being throttled.

Road widening in Nandyal is running into trouble with victims of the action feeling cheated by the government. Municipal commissioner Satyanarayana Rao says no compensation will be paid to those affected by the road widening. Only transferable developmental rights are offered. People who lost property say they plan to meet Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. With the byelection in Nandyal round the corner, no political leader wants to make any comment. Nominees of the Opposition party are hesitant to voice concern lest it should be read as ‘anti-development’.

For the record, however, YSRC nominee Silpa Mohan Reddy registered his opposition to the road widening all along while late Bhuma Nagi Reddy favoured road widening. Now his daughter holds reins as the minister for tourism. She was going ahead with fulfilling her father’s dream. Road widening body convener Bukka Sankarayya said there was discrimination regarding the quantum of compensation to be paid to the victims of widening.

The Chief Minister has assured the victims that they would be given 2.5 times of what was worked out as fair compensation. The fair compensation that was decided ranged from Rs 6,500 per square yard to Rs 12,500 per square yard depending on the location of the property lost. The offer of money has silenced some of the victims, claimed a rights activist. Meanwhile, debris lying at the site of demolition is causing traffic problems with mounds of dirt, beams and concrete blocks lying strewn on the roads. The municipal commissioner says the debris would be cleared within a day or two.

Another victim said that It was illegal for the municipal administration to resort to demolition of properties without adhering to the procedure prescribed by law.
He said the victims were called for a meeting on July 5 and were asked to hand over their properties within two days. They were also given a copy of the consent form with the promise of Transferable Development Rights.

The petitioners did not give their consent and in such an eventuality if the respondents desire to take over their properties notified in the notification dated July 7 the only option left for them would be to invoke the Right to Fair Compensation, Rehabilitation and Settlement Act, 2013 which they have not done till today.