Joda: Even as issues of rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced people have been a major stumbling block for the Kanpur mega irrigation project in Keonjhar district, Collector Ashish Thakre, who recently joined, has now laid focus on resolving the issues.
The Collector invited members of the Kanpur Bisthapita Core Committee (KBCC), an outfit of the project displaced people, for discussion in this regard Sunday.
During the meeting, president of KBCC, Naresh Sitari and members Foren Samad, Sudhansu Sekhar Samad and Bagualu Das pointed out a number of problems in rehabilitation of the displaced, compensation for the land losers and the alleged government neglect to their problems.
Sitari told the Collector that the displaced people are entitled to get compensation of their land under the Land Acquisition Act-2013.
When the core committee started an agitation over its 18 demands, a meeting of its members was held at Champua sub-collector’s office, following an instruction from the then collector July 11, 2017.
Champua sub-collector, several other top officials of the administration and the director of the Kanpur irrigation project were present at the meeting.
Sitari claimed that the administration had then assured in written format that compensation will be paid and rehabilitation will be done as per the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of 2013, but no step was taken to execute it by the then Collector.
On hearing the issue of the displaced people, Thakre assured the KBCC members that he would apprised the state government of their problems and demands.
The core committee members lamented that many collectors have come and gone, but issues of the oustees have remained unresolved even after many assurances.
People of 16 villages being displaced by the irrigation project warned that they will not leave their villages unless they are paid adequate compensation. Land for the project was acquired in 2006. Eleven years have passed, but the project has not been completed as yet, Sitari said.
The third largest irrigation project in the state has been beset with multiple problems. PNN
