(a) the total area of land acquired so far for Polavaram Project;
(b) the area of Tribal land acquired for the purpose in each concerned State;
(c) whether it is a fact that the Government has to give one job for each Tribal family; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps proposed to be taken to avoid evictions of Tribals and Dalits for such dams across the country?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION
(Dr. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a) & (b) The total area of land acquired in the State of Andhra Pradesh for Polavaram Project as on 21.10.2016 is 86461.26 acres; 64.42% of this is tribal land.
(c) & (d) There is a provision at Sl. No. 4 of Second Schedule of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 regarding Choice of Annuity or Employment which is as follows:
1. where jobs are created through the project, after providing suitable training and skill development in the required field, make provision for employment at a rate not lower than the minimum wages provided for in any other law for the time being in force, to at least one member per affected family in the project or arrange for a job in such other projects as may be required; or
2. one-time payment of five lakh rupees per affected family; or
3. annuity policies that shall pay not less than two thousand rupees per month per family for twenty years, with appropriate indexation to the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers.
As intimated by the Polavaram Project authority, the State Government is taking all steps to provide Choice of Annuity or Employment to the Project Affected Families of Polavaram Irrigation Project after detailed discussions with them.
Further, Rehabilitation& Resettlement issues related to projects executed by various States come under the purview of State Governments.
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