People being displaced for the Velugonda Project are already giving up their villages, homes and livelihoods. Now, during the local body elections, they are facing another major concern where will their votes be registered?
With the rehabilitation process yet to be completed while the election process is moving forward, thousands of displaced families are worried about their voting rights.
The project is estimated to affect around 7,270 displaced families, comprising approximately 22,000 to 24,000 voters. “We have already lost our homes and villages. If our voting rights also become uncertain, what will happen to us?” the displaced families are asking.
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
No Own Village.. No New Address.. Where Will We Vote?
Concerns over the future are growing among people from villages that are being submerged due to the construction of the Velugonda Project.
Displaced families say they are being forced to move from their villages even before rehabilitation has been fully completed. They are now demanding clarity on where their votes will remain registered.
According to the displaced families, not everyone has been able to fully settle in the rehabilitation colonies. In such circumstances, they fear that a lack of clarity regarding their voter registration during the local body elections could result in thousands of people being unable to exercise their right to vote.
7,270 Families.. 22,000 to 24,000 Voters!
Several villages within the Velugonda Project area are facing submergence, including Gottipadiya, Sunkesula, Akkacheruvu, Gundamcherla, Kaluvuraju Thanda, Chintalamudipi, Ramalingeswarapuram, Krishnasagar and Lakshmipuram, among others.
People from these villages are now raising concerns over rehabilitation, voting rights and their new addresses.
There are approximately 7,270 displaced families in the project area, with the number of voters estimated at around 22,000 to 24,000. The displaced families say the government needs to provide advance clarity regarding the future of such a large number of voters.
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
Verification Already Underway Through the SIR Programme
As part of the revision and verification of electoral rolls, verification is already being carried out through the SIR programme. This has further increased concerns among displaced families regarding the status of their votes.
They say they can no longer comfortably remain in their old villages, while the new rehabilitation colonies are not yet fully ready for everyone to settle in.
Under these circumstances, displaced families are demanding answers from officials to questions such as:
- Under which address will their names appear on the electoral rolls?
- Which village will their votes remain associated with?
- What happens to those who have temporarily moved to other villages or towns?
- Will their votes automatically be transferred to the rehabilitation colonies?
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
Is Rehabilitation Limited to Promises?
Displaced families are also expressing dissatisfaction with the condition of basic infrastructure in the rehabilitation colonies.
They say several issues related to basic amenities, housing, roads, drinking water and electricity are yet to be fully resolved.
Although the government says rehabilitation is being provided, displaced families argue that all families are not in a position to immediately move into and live in the new colonies.
This has left them facing three major questions:
Where is our home? Where is our village? Where is our vote?
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
What Is the Situation in the Submergence Villages?
The situation in several villages affected by the Velugonda Project highlights the seriousness of the concerns being raised by displaced families.
| Submergence Village | Number of Families |
|---|---|
| Kalanuthala | 1,118 |
| Chintalamudipi | 88 |
| Sunkesula | 2,901 |
| Gundamcherla | 1,201 |
| Kaluvuraju Thanda | 38 |
| Akkacheruvu | 158 |
| Gottipadiya | 1,420 |
| Sairamnagar | 26 |
| Ramalingeswarapuram | 36 |
| Krishnasagar | 78 |
| Lakshmipuram | 206 |
Many families say they are already facing severe difficulties.
As a result, they claim they are being pushed into a situation where they cannot continue living in their own villages, cannot immediately move into rehabilitation centres and have to look for rented accommodation in nearby towns.
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
Will Their Votes Remain or Disappear?
This is now the biggest question facing the displaced families.
If the old villages are vacated, will their names continue to remain on the electoral rolls there?
If they move to rehabilitation colonies, will voting rights be provided there?
What happens to families who are temporarily staying in rented houses in towns or other villages?
These questions are causing growing uncertainty.
Displaced families are asking:
“We were able to exercise our voting rights during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Why is there so much uncertainty over our voting rights during the local body elections?”
They fear that any delay or lack of clarity could create serious problems on polling day. They also question who will be held responsible if their names do not appear on the electoral rolls at the last minute.
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
Serious Political Questions as Well
Rehabilitation of thousands of displaced families is not simply a matter of constructing houses and handing them over.
The government must ensure a home, a proper address, basic infrastructure, livelihood security and voting rights for every displaced family.
However, the rehabilitation process is yet to fully stabilize while the election process is moving ahead. This has increased anxiety among the displaced population.
A significant political question is now being raised:
Why was a clear roadmap for the future, voting rights and rehabilitation of displaced families not provided before they were moved from their original villages?
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
What Should the Government Do?
The government needs to immediately provide clear answers to the concerns of the displaced families.
- Issue a clear statement on the rehabilitation status of all 7,270 displaced families.
- Ensure that the names of approximately 22,000–24,000 voters remain safely included in the electoral rolls.
- Take special measures to ensure that displaced families are not inadvertently removed during the SIR verification process.
- Announce a clear policy for transferring voters from the old villages to the rehabilitation colonies.
- Complete essential infrastructure such as houses, roads, drinking water and electricity in the rehabilitation colonies.
- Before the local body elections, provide every displaced family with a clear assurance regarding where their vote will remain registered.
Voting Rights of Velugonda Project Displaced Families
They Lost Their Homes.. Will They Now Lose Their Votes Too?
People who are losing their homes for the Velugonda Project are now worried that they may also lose their voting rights. Such a situation is certainly a serious concern from the perspective of democracy.
With 7,270 families and an estimated 22,000–24,000 voters, this is not a minor issue. It concerns the political and democratic rights of thousands of families.
Rehabilitation cannot simply mean claiming that houses have been provided. The government also has a responsibility to ensure a new address, basic amenities, livelihood security and protection of voting rights for every displaced family.
The displaced families’ concern can be summed up in one line:
“Even if we lose our homes, our votes should not be lost.”
The government should provide a clear answer to this concern and take immediate steps to ensure that every displaced person’s voting rights remain secure before the local body elections.
