Nuapada: Abrupt closure of schools and withdrawal of social security benefits by the district administration from Kalimati village, the site of Lower Indra irrigation project in Nuapada district, has deprived the children of education and the elderly of the benefits as they live a life of neglect and deprivation.
The matter came to fore when human rights activist Prafulla Samantara visited Kalimati village and took stock of the situation Sunday afternoon.
Samantara has filed a report with the Human Rights Commission which has sought a report from the district collector. He visited the houses in the village and enquired about the problems of the children and elderly persons of 74 families.
Talking to media persons, Samantara warned to stage a hunger strike outside the collectorate if the state government does not take steps to alleviate the problems of the villagers.
The Lower Indra project is being constructed in between Khariar and Komna blocks.
The district administration has acquired the land in Kalimati village under Komna block for construction of the irrigation project works, which is going on since 2000. The project, when completed, will completely submerge Kalimati village.
However, a delay in commissioning of the project has aggravated the problem of the residents. The families have refused to move out of their houses as they are yet to be paid compensation and to be relocated by the district administration.
However, they are stuck in morass after the government withdrew educational facilities and social security benefits from the village.
Reports said the district administration has closed down all the schools and the Anganwadi centres in the area in 2008. This has deprived the children of education and the elderly from receiving the social security benefits.
Samantara found that the children have stopped going to schools for the last 10 years after two primary schools were closed down in the area.
This has seriously hit primary education and the implementation of midday meals in the area. Moreover, the pregnant women and the newborn have been deprived of getting their benefits from the Anganwadi centres, Samantara said.
Among others, Fanindam Singh Deo, member of district child welfare committee, Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Purusottam Thakur of the human rights cell, social activists Nila Pradhan and Padmalochan Verma of the submergence area, were present during the visit of Samantara to the village. PNN