The district administration has cleared the decks for the construction of R&R Colony for the project displaced families of the Kovvada atomic power plant, which is touted as the largest nuclear plant in the country.
The proposal to construct the colony was made when the villagers had objected to land acquisition. As agreed upon, the government later identified land for the purpose at Dharmavaram village of Etcherla mandal.
Officials of Revenue Department and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited met a couple of days ago and decided to go ahead with the construction without further delay. The government acquired 1,457 acres and paid ₹18 lakh as compensation per acre. Apart from this, the government assured to construct a gated community in 213 acres, said K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, Joint Collector and Project Administrator. “As the government acquired land, the NPCIL can float tenders for the construction of the colony,” he said.
The government suggested to the NPCIL sub-committee to provide all amenities in the colony to ensure a decent life to the 988 families that had parted with their lands in Kovvada, Tekkali and surrounding villages of Ranasthalam mandal.
The district officials assured to obtain clearance for the site identified at Dharmavaram as it belonged to the Forest Department. In lieu of it, the government would allot equal extent of land to the Forest Department.