The Andhra Pradesh government authorities are taking up Polavaram project works with complete swing, without worrying about hurdles from the displaced persons. Particularly after they got onto nerves of the government by disrupting the project work for about four hours yesterday.

The displaced persons were discontent by the lukewarm attitude of the government in regard to the relief and rehabilitation measures. They seem to be impatient especially with the failure of the government to speed up rehabilitation and relief measures. For the last 50 days they have been on relay hunger strike at a place close to the project site, but felt deceived by the government as no important authorities bothered to console them.

They lost their patience after long wait and stormed into the project site on foot from the village yesterday. Though police tried to stop them at the main gate of the project site, the police personnel were outnumbered by the agitators. They sat down at the site itself stating that they would continue their fasting, till the RDO reached and responded to their demands.

This created a tension at the project site for few hours. The thasildhar, who arrived at the site, made futile attempts to pacify them. Finally, RDO reached there and held discussions for about one hour. After he assured them that higher authorities would discuss the issue with them on January 12, they had returned back from the site.

Interestingly, just few months ahead of 2014 polls, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu interacting with the project-affected tribals, accused that the then state government failed to implement the relief and rehabilitation package for them.

But even after two and half years of his returning to power, not much progress is seen in the government initiatives. Though Chandrababu Naidu himself directed officials to construct as many as 17 housing colonies with all modern facilities at a cost of Rs 230.42 crore in Buttayagudem, Jeelugumilli and Polavaram mandals, not much was done yet.