Polavaram: The election in this scheduled tribes (ST) reserved assembly constituency is being fought on the issue of compensation for families displaced by the implementation of the Polavaram project The segment has been a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) stronghold since 1983. It has won Polavaram five times — 1983, 1985, 1994, 1999 and 2014.But for the initial two elections in 1983 and 1985, TDP has been changing its candidate for every election that has left it without a strong leadership.It is one of the reasons why the TDP lost in every election since 2004. It struggled to win in 2014, after a gap of 12 years. It has, however, dropped its sitting MLA Modiyam Srinivasa Rao and fielded Boragam Srinu this time.On the contrary, Congress and, later, YSR Congress (YSRC) have fielded local leader Tellam Bala Raju to fight in this tribal reserved segment. He won in 2004 and 2009 on a Congress ticket and again in 2012 by-election when he joined YSRC and sought fresh mandate. Although he bit the dust in 2014, Tellam Bala Raju is now trying his luck on an YSRC ticket.The constituency was a general seat till 1962 and made an ST reserved segment in 1967. Congress won the seat in every election with communists in the rival camp, but politics took a new turn with the arrival of TDP in 1982.This time the core issue here is compensation for the displaced families of the Polavaram project. While the government and TDP claim that 66% of the project is completed, the displaced families cry for rehabilitation and resettlement.The government has identified 28 villages, including the tribal villages, to be shifted for the project. Seven villages have been shifted to facilitate the earth and cement concrete work for the project. The rest would be shifted and rehabilitated once the project is completed and water is stored.The families, who were shifted from seven villages, cry foul. The government has taken up construction of houses in rehabilitation colonies for these displaced families. Families from Paidipaka and Devaragondi were rehabilitated and resettled on the outskirts of Polavaram town. Housing was taken up and cement roads were provided for these rehabilitation colonies.Electricity, too, was given in 2016. However, several houses are incomplete and those completed are of poor quality. Several of the displaced families are still in rented houses, while a few have come, occupied and completed the unfinished structures. People have been asking the government to implement the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for rehabilitation and resettlement, particularly insisting on fair compensation.

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