Special relief not given to oustees

Hyderabad: The special compensation ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh is not being paid to 18-year old youth and single woman under the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package for lands acquired by the state government for construction of irrigation projects.

Although the government is paying compensation and providing houses to owners who lost their lands and houses, the special compensation promised the two sections is yet to be paid. A large number of applications for special compensation is pending with the state government.

The government has acquired large parcels of land for construction of irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram and Palamuru Ranga Reddy lift irrigation schemes and Sitarama project among others in the past five years.

The government announced pay special compensation for persons aged above 18 years of age and single woman in a household if they are part of displaced families, in addition to the compensation being paid to owners of lands and houses.

In Sircilla, special compensation of Rs 2 lakh was promised to 800 youth, which is pending for three years. Although the Mid-Manair project works in Sircilla were completed three years ago, the displaced persons await compensation. They have been doing the rounds of the revenue, irrigation and collector offices for three years in vain.

Besides, the government had promised additional compensation for loss of structure value, trees, vacant places, borewells and wells. This too is yet to be paid.

The government acquired lands in nine villages in Thoguta and Kondapaka mandals in Siddipet district for the construction of the Mallannasagar project, a part of the Kaleshwaram scheme, but oustees are yet to receive special compensation.

Lands were also acquired for the Kondapochamma Sagar project, also part of the Kaleshwaram scheme, in Markook mandal but no special compensation was paid.

Project oustees of Gouravelli project recently attempted to block officials from undertaking project works after they did not receive special compensation. As many as 111 applications are pending with the government.

The files are stuck in the district collectorates due to lack of approvals from the state government to pay the special compensation, sources said.