Balangir: Residents of Tabalbanji village affected by Lower Suktel irrigation project blocked an eviction drive Tuesday, demanding compensation and proper rehabilitation before vacating their homes. A district administration team, accompanied by police and project officials, arrived to begin eviction but was met with protests and a sit-in on the main road. Villagers said authorities were directing families to a resettlement colony 20 kilometres away, even though their farmland would remain near Tabalbanji. They said survey errors had left many families without compensation.
Officials, including Superintending Engineer Ajay Behera and Balangir Sadar SDPO Saroj Upadhyay, held talks with villagers, but the standoff continued. The administration withdrew without demolishing homes in Tabalbanji, though five to seven houses were razed in neighbouring village.
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