Musi Jan Andolan writes to AICC Telangana in-charge against Gandhi Sarovar

Musi Jan Andolan, a coalition of Musi displaced residents, activists and voluntary organisations, has addressed a letter to All India Congress Committee’s Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, raising concerns about the ‘Gandhi Sarovar’ component of the Musi Riverfront Development project.

Referring to three land acquisition notifications issued by the government in Bandlaguda Jagir and Kismatpur villages of Gandipet mandal, the letter specifically mentioned the case of the gated community, Madhu Park Ridge, and the opposition expressed by the residents.

The next day after the notification, “in complete disregard to the will of the people and democratic participation in the land acquisition process”, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy invited Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Gandhi Sarovar Project, the letter mentioned.

Also mentioning Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi’s opposition to the project, the letter took objection to the exemption of social impact assessment process under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and reminded that the law was enacted keeping people’s interests in mind.

Stating all these issues, the letter by MJA urged Ms. Natarajan to intervene and convey the popular discontent to the State government and the party’s central leadership with an appeal to ensure that the Gandhi Sarovar project be scrapped and the Musi Riverfront Development Project be comprehensively reviewed through a process of democratic consultation.

If the project is carried in the conceptualisation it exists today, it will have detrimental impact on the river’s ecosystem and the residents along the river, the letter said.