CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu warned the Andhra Pradesh state and the central governments of intensified protests if they fail to provide relief measures to the evacuees of the Polavaram Project. 

Addressing thousands from the tribal region at the meeting held at Kunavaram village of the Alluri Sitharama Raju district, he stressed that the government should do justice to the displaced who lost their livelihood and property for the project. 

“CPI(M) leaders and cadre will hold a sit-in at the project site along with the evacuees if the government doesn’t implement all the promised relief measures for the displaced,” he said.

 Raghavulu said that the government data on the contour and submergence levels of the project have been proved to be bogus after the recent Godavari floods. He demanded rehabilitation and resettlement measures for all the evacuees from the submerged villages.

He flayed the state government for failing to provide relief measures to victims of the Godavari floods.  He said that around 300 villages were submerged in the 36-meter-high Godavari floods and alleged that the officials were duping the victims with fake statistics. 

“The tribals won't sit calmly if the government tries to cheat them. They will teach a lesson to both the state and central governments", Raghavulu warned.  He criticised the Modi government for not allocating the Relief and Resettlement (R&R) funds for the evacuees and is instead doling out the government exchequer to corporate companies. 

“The governments are trying to abolish the Employment Guarantee Scheme, PESA, Act 1/70 and others” he pointed out and called upon the other opposition parties to come forward in support of the Polavaram Project evacuees’ movement.

Adivasi Adhikar Manch chairman and former MP Midiyam Babu Rao criticised the governments for being keen on the dam construction but ignoring the problems of the evacuees and leaving them in the lurch. 

CPI(M) AP state secretariat member Mantena Seetharam slammed chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to implement the poll promises made to the evacuees during his padayatra in the submerged villages of the Polavaram Project.

CPI(M) leaders undertook padayatra in 156 villages of the four submerged mandals. They received huge support from the tribals irrespective of their political affiliation. The padayatra continued for six days in Yetapaka mandal, five days in V R Puram mandal, and for four days in Chinthuru mandal.