Forcible Eviction Of Gandikota Reservoir Displaced Unjust

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemns the manner in which Thalla Proddatur, Chamaluru, Yerragudi villages in Kadapa district are being submerged and resident villagers are being forcibly evicted in the name of the second phase of Gandikota reservoir project without proper rehabilitation. The relief and rehabilitation offered to the project affected persons is not in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

In fact, some of the project affected parties have not even received any compensation.  They have not even been provided the basic amenities and infrastructure in the 95 acres of land at Jogapuram village allocated for the project affected families. Authorities have not even completed acquisition of another 80 acres of land meant for this purpose at Jogapuram. The only thing they did was hurriedly lay a few roads and provide single phase electricity in the past ten days. It is appalling that authorities expect the project affected families to live in the wilderness at Jogapuram and are now using coercive measures to evacuate the villagers. We condemn the unlawful displacement and intimidatory methods being adopted by the police to evacuate them from Thalla Proddatur. 

It is evident that the affected people of Thalla Proddatur have not been suitably and adequately compensated and the R&R package has serious flaws and not been satisfactory, fair and just. While due process of law and principles of R&R have not been adhered to, the local people are being subjected to acute trauma. HRF is of the opinion that priority must be accorded to rehabilitating the projected affected people with dignity, fully respecting their rights. They must not be coerced and threatened in any manner.

Affected people have been protesting since days and the response from the government, instead of initiating a democratic dialogue with them, has been to deploy police and issue threats. Does the government think the affected people of Thalla Proddatur are devoid of any rights? Submergence and forceful displacement without lawful and comprehensive rehabilitation is a violation of their basic rights and is plainly illegal. We urge the government to stop the illegal evacuation of these villagers with immediate effect, provide them fair compensation and contemplate shifting the villagers only after providing them comprehensive relief and rehabilitation.

We also strongly condemn the manner in which Ms K Jayasree, the State Vice President of Human Rights Forum is being wrongfully detained for the past two days at her residence in Proddatur for extending solidarity and voicing the concerns of the Thalla Prodattur villagers. We demand the withdrawal of police force at Thalla Proddatur and at Ms Jayasri’s residence with immediate effect.

The government should first pay full and fair compensation, provide proper relief and rehabilitation and only then think of shifting the Gandikota project affected persons from their homes.