Authorities of the horticulture and forest departments dealing with survey and compensation payment for the evacuees of the three-decade-old Somasila project have reportedly siphoned off compensation funds, meant for those who lost their trees along with their lands. Farmers said officials had created false records, mentioning the presence of hundreds of trees and thereby sharing the compensation amount. According to the estimates of local farmers, 50 per cent of the Rs 4 crore released by the government for paying compensation for felled trees is false. The spoils are reportedly being shared by officials and staff of the forest and horticulture departments. Even three decades later, the government is still grappling with the compensation payment issue for lands and trees belonging to farmers. The project was launched way back in 1974 but the government is yet to close the issue of compensation payment to farmers who lost their lands. Officials concerned had created false records to justify their mode of compensation payment. There were many farmers who lost their trees along with lands but the changed records indicate that there were no trees at all on certain lands while fabricated records suggest the presence of hundreds of trees where there were no trees at all. Farmers say that the officials are prepared to change records if the beneficiaries agree to share the compensation amount with them. Of the 105 villages identified for compensation payment in 1974, farmers of 10 villages are yet to be paid compensation. The lands are located within the purview of the Assembly constituency of Badvel in the mandals of Gopavaram and Atluru, Farmers urge the government to order a fresh survey and identify the real beneficiaries and punish the culprits who siphoned off funds.