Bhubaneswar: Though late, the state government finally tabled before the Assembly the much-awaited Justice PK Mohanty Commission of Inquiry & action taken report on the incident of police firing at Kalinganagar in Jajpur in which 13 tribal were gunned down in January 2006.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh placed the report on the floor of the house on behalf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who also holds the home portfolio.
The commission in its report has said that some local leaders, political parties and others taking advantage of volatile situation mobilized, instigated and led the villager to adopt a path of confrontation instead of peaceful agitation and protest and to insist that there should be no acquisition and not to allow any industry to be set up in the complex.
“When all the deterrent measures failed and yielded no result and finding that the lives of police personnel were endangered; live firing order was passed,” says the version of the then executive magistrate in the report.
The report said that the incident which left 13 tribal people dead was triggered by frustration among the local tribals who felt that their hopes for a better future, for which they had welcomed establishment of the industrial hub at the cost of their land and traditional homes, may not materialize
The panel has made three recommendations – formulation of beneficial and welfare schemes for the upliftment of land losers and locals; provision of employment to at least one family member of persons who were killed in the incident; and payment of additional compensation to injured in the firing incident.
In its action taken report the state government said, that the recommendations of the Commission has been complied with.
‘The Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department’ in its amended form was progressive and similar to the scheme adopted by the Tata Steel Limited in respect of the displaced persons of Kalinga Nagar, the government said, in its ATR.
The report added that at least one member each from the families of the persons deceased on account of the Police firing incident had been offered employment by the beneficiary companies in the Kalinga Nagar Integrated Industrial Complex and on request of Home Department, the General Administration Department has released a sum of Rs 16,50,000 in favour of the Collector, Jajpur for payment of additional differential ex-gratia to the injured persons.
After the firing incident January 2, 2006, the state government set up Justice AS Naidu Commission followed by Justice RK Patra Commission, but subsequently dissolved both.
Later it constituted the Justice PK Mohanty Commission of Inquiry which submitted its report to the state government July 3, 2015.
The state government had earlier stated that the probe panel had not found anyone guilty in the firing incident.
PNN
