Malkangiri: Even as 25 years have passed since the Satiguda reservoir in Malkangiri district was constructed, the wait by over 50 displaced families of Munusha village for the promised benefits has not ended yet.
The government constructed Satiguda reservoir to provide irrigation facility to farmers and end water scarcity in the area. At the dam site, there were lands of Munusha villagers.
Before the starting of the dam construction, innocent tribal residents were promised compensation and other benefits.
They were displaced and the dam was constructed. As was envisioned, the lands are being irrigated. Besides this, people of nearby villages earn their livelihood by catching fish from the reservoir and selling it in nearby markets.
They said, 25 years have gone by. But the state government has forgotten the displaced Munusha villagers who are still waiting for the promised compensation. What they received was only 3.05 acres of farmlands and lands to construct houses.
What makes the matter worse for them is that the 3.05 acres of land given to the displaced families has not been identified by the government.
The families who have nothing but a piece of paper as land documents don’t know whether the lands still exist or have been encroached upon.
“Since we don’t know anything about our lands, we are unable to carry out any agricultural activities. We are forced to go to Andhra Pradesh looking for work. We urged the administration to identify our land, but to no avail,” fumed the villagers.
Contacted, Malkangiri tehsildar said they will form a team very soon which will visit the village, identify the lands and measure them.
PNN