Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has directed the district collectors to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures relating to the project affected families under Dindi, Palamuru and Kaleshwaram projects.
The district collectors were directed to speed up acquisition of the land required for the two major projects ensuring that the affected families were compensated adequately. Steps should be taken to ensure that the families losing their lands and houses were given compensation higher than that assured by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Land acquisition
The Minister, along with senior officials, conducted a video conference with collectors of Siddipet, Suryapet, Rajanna-Sircilla, Mahbubnagar and Nagarkurnool districts on Wednesday. He wanted the officials to complete land acquisition related to Mallannasagar, Kondapochamma, Ranganayaksagar, Anantagiri and Medaram reservoirs providing necessary compensation to the affected families.
Steps should also be initiated to ensure that the funds released for rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families were given to the affected families at the earliest.
Mr. Harish Rao said the government was confident of providing water to one lakh acre ayacut under the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme during the current year. More than 2.5 lakh acre ayacut was created under the project last year and officials concerned should prepare plans to provide water to 3.6 lakh acre this year.
Linking of tanks
At a separate meeting, Mr. Harish Rao directed the Irrigation Department officials to evolve minor irrigation network system in the State to effectively link the chain of tanks with the respective projects.
Officials should conduct a study for identifying chains of tanks under different projects for taking necessary steps to fill these tanks through the major/minor irrigation projects close to them. Officials could undertake the study of 44,928 tanks identified under the Mission Kakatiya scheme in this direction, he suggested.