Mathili/Malkangiri: Three tribal families staged a sit-in and hunger strike outside the Mathili tehsil office Monday, alleging they had been denied compensation for land acquired for a railway project due to irregularities in the land acquisition process.
The protest was led by a former senior police officer and tribal leader Sarat Chandra Buruda. The demonstrators alleged that irregularities in the preparation of the lineage list had deprived genuine beneficiaries of government compensation.
The protesters also alleged serious discrepancies in official records, including a case in which a living destitute woman was wrongly recorded as dead, resulting in her exclusion from the list of beneficiaries. Following prolonged discussions at the protest site, the administration held talks with the demonstrators.
According to the protesters, the tehsildar acknowledged that errors had occurred in the case and assured them that corrective measures would be taken to ensure justice for the genuine beneficiaries. The protesters withdrew the agitation after receiving the assurance.
Buruda said the protest had been called off. However, he warned that a larger agitation would be launched if the promised corrective measures were not implemented.