Vikram Singh, Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and Joint Secretary of the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), participated in the Padayatra demanding justice for people displaced because of the Polavaram Project. The Padayatra was led by V. Srinivas Rao, State Secretary of the CPI(M) in Andhra Pradesh and Central Committee member.
The Padayatra began on June 25 from the Polavaram project site in West Godavari district and is expected to cover a distance of 150 km over the next 10 days. The participants are demanding that the government fulfill its promises to the people displaced by the project, including providing them with adequate compensation and rehabilitation. They are also demanding that the government stop the construction of the project, which they say will displace thousands of more people and cause environmental damage.
The Project is a major irrigation project that is being built on the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. The project is expected to generate 1600 MW of hydroelectric power and irrigate over 1.8 million hectares of land. However, the project has been mired in controversy since its inception. Environmentalists have raised concerns about the project's impact on the environment, while the people displaced by the project have demanded adequate compensation and rehabilitation.
The Padayatra is the latest in a series of protests by the CPI(M) and other organizations against the Polavaram Project. The party has called for a statewide bandh on July 9 to protest the project.
In a statement, the CPI(M) said that the Padayatra is a "people's movement" against the "destructive" Polavaram Project. The party said that the project will "destroy the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people" and "cause irreparable damage to the environment."
The CPI(M) has demanded that the government immediately stop the construction of the project and provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation to the people displaced by the project. The party has also called for a judicial inquiry into the project.
The Padayatra is expected to conclude on July 4 at the Collectorate in West Godavari district.
