Relief and Rehabilitation Package for Families affected by Polavaram Irrigation project
Land acquisition and rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R) works of the Polavaram irrigation project (PIP) are being carried out by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP). According to the GoAP, in PIP, a total of 1,06,006 project displaced families (PDFs) have been identified for rehabilitation in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Upto December 2013, the R&R package being provided for the displaced families of PIP was in accordance with the R&R 2005 policy of the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) which entitled each PDF of Polavaram Irrigation project to receive Rs 2.83 lakh, along with the house site. The said policy also provisioned for land–to–land to scheduled caste/ scheduled tribes (SC/ST) PDFs.
However, from January 2014 onwards, the R&R package is being provided as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 (Act). According to the Act, the R&R package for SC/ST PDFs of the Polavaram Irrigation project comes to Rs. 6.86 lakh, while for the other PDFs of PIP, the package is Rs. 6.36 lakh. In addition, the house site is also to be given to all PDFs of PIP.
The Act also provides that those persons losing land and belonging to SC/ST will be provided land equivalent to land acquired, or two and a one-half acres, whichever is lower. In addition, GoAP has sanctioned an additional R&R package so that each displaced family of PIP receives a total R&R package of Rs. 10 lakh, including the above-mentioned entitlements under this Act.
This information was given by the Minister of State, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Disclaimer : This is an official press release by PIB.
