Champua/Joda: Rains have thrown a spanner in construction works at the Kanpur irrigation project in Keonjhar.
The district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC at the site to ensure continuation of works, but incessant rains played spoilsport.
The work could not progress as expected even though displaced people did not turn up for opposition.
The prohibitory orders were imposed at the site July 20 while 30 platoons of police force were deployed at the site. The forces from Sundargarh, Rourkela and Jharsuguda were led by SP Rajesh Pandit. Five DSPs, three assistant commandants, 12 IICs and 30 sub-inspectors were part of the forces.
When the project work has been delayed by protests from displaced people, Keonjhar collector N Tirumala Nayak had directed the contractual company to expedite the work under security cover.
Low-pressure-induced rains have been continuing since July 22 and hampered the construction work even though the administration had tried their best to resume work.
Several administrative officials including five magistrates, chief executive engineer of the Kanpur project Kulamani Biswal, executive engineer of the project Sarbeswar Senapati, executive engineer of rehabilitation and resettlement Udaynath Sahu, assistant executive engineer RN Ray, officials PK Samantray and UK Nayak were deployed at the site for supervision.
Though the work at the site was halted for more than a year, problems of the displaced people could not be sorted out. It was alleged that the project authorities has not yet identified the places for rehabilitation for people from three villages Daduan, Gobindapur and Birikala, which were identified among 12 villages as submergence-prone areas.
There were also allegations about some anomalies in the list of project-affected people.
Bistapita Core Committee, a body of displaced people, has been demanding rehabilitation and compensation package as per the R&R Act 2013. PNN
