The death of a 70-year-old man in Siddipet's Vemulaghat village displaced under the Mallanna Sagar project led to tensions on Friday. The man, identified as Mallareddy, took his own life on Friday using wood from his demolished house. Vemulaghat is one of the 14 affected villages by the project, and is part of the 20,000-plus acres acquired for the irrigation project. At least six villages fall under Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) constituency.
According to reports, Mallareddy allegedly had issues with the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package that was given to the project oustees. Mallareddy was also one of the oustees who left the village in view of the submerging. A TOI report said Mallareddy arrived in Vemulaghat on Thursday night from a village in Gajwel mandal. His body was found by the people who are still residing in the village.
However, officials refuted reports that Mallareddy was denied a house, and said that he was given Rs 7.5 lakh as compensation and a two-bedroom house at R&R Colony at Mutrajpally while his grandson was given Rs 5 lakhs and a 250-yard plot.
Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Anantha Reddy told Telangana Today that since Mallareddy’s grandson was also eligible for a house, one of them was given Rs 5.04 lakh compensation after they decided to give up one allotment since they wanted to live in the same house. Subsequently, Malla Reddy, eligible for another Rs 7.5 lakh, was paid the amount, he told the paper.
However, Dubbak MLA Raghunandan Rao alleged that it was "unfair" treatment in giving the R&R package that led to Mallareddy taking his own life. Heavy security was set up in the village, Raghunandan Rao who tried to visit the village was prevented by the authorities. The MLA later met the family of the deceased at a government hospital where the body was shifted for conducting a postmortem.