Sambalpur: Locals resorted to a unique protest Thursday afternoon named Jal Satyagrah demanding details of the rehabilitation plans prepared for them by the state government.
Hundreds of residents will be displaced by the district administration to facilitate the ambitious Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives (SAMALEI) project which is in close vicinity of the temple in Sambalpur.
According to sources, both males and females from the city participated in the protest, which was staged at Balibandha Ghat of the Mahanadi river.
People who will be affected are apprehensive about their future, and the government officials have been silent in response to their queries regarding rehabilitation. They claimed they are allegedly being threatened by district administration officials that they will be evicted from their respective homes. The local administration is yet to announce a rehabilitation plan for the soon-to-be displaced residents.
“We want to know if they will force us to vacate our homes which come under the project. If that is so, where do they plan to rehabilitate us and what amounts will they give us as compensation,” many residents questioned.
PNN
