Bolangir: The government drafts policies aimed at ensuring the welfare of citizens, with the expectation that officials will implement these policies effectively to deliver the promised benefits. However, when policies are misinterpreted or when guidance is not provided in a timely manner, the outcomes can be counterproductive. In such cases, schemes intended to help people may end up having the opposite effect. This is the reality faced by many landless families displaced by the Lower Suktel Project, where confusion over the rules has led to further hardship. The administration had initially promised that displaced families would receive enhanced assistance compared to the provisions outlined in the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. It was announced that each affected family would receive a special assistance package of Rs 3.54 lakh, along with a homestead plot and house under various housing schemes.
This announcement provided some hope for the displaced families, who were uprooted from their villages. However, these hopes have now been dashed as the promised support has not materialised, compounded by the misinterpretation of government policies. As per departmental sources, 268 landless families were identified as affected by the Lower Suktel Project. While most of these families reportedly received the promised financial assistance, only 10 to 15 families have been given homestead plots or houses so far. The rest of the landless families remain without proper rehabilitation. Resettlement colonies were set up in the Bolangir and Loisingha tehsils to accommodate the displaced families. While some oustees were provided homestead plots in these colonies, many landless families received neither plots nor houses. As a result, many families have been forced to live in temporary shelters in precarious conditions. The government had previously assured the affected families that they would be granted homestead plots under the Vasundhara Scheme and houses through various housing initiatives. Some families used the financial assistance they received to buy small plots of land.
However, this decision has now backfired, as officials have ruled that families who purchased land with the assistance money are ineligible for benefits under the Vasundhara Scheme. Consequently, they will no longer receive homestead plots under the scheme. Recently, Bolangir MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo held a review meeting to discuss the rehabilitation of families displaced by the Lower Suktel Project. During the meeting, displaced families raised concerns about the issue of homestead plots. The Loisingha tehsildar explained that the purchase of land by these families disqualifi es them from receiving plots under the Vasundhara Scheme.
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As a result, of the 120 identified landless families, only six were deemed eligible for homestead plots. Officials, including the Sub-Collector and the ADM present at the meeting, reiterated that applications for the Vasundhara Scheme cannot be processed for those who already own land. However, it was pointed out that these displaced families were not simply scheme beneficiaries, but direct victims of the Lower Suktel Project. They are entitled to homestead plots and housing under any rehabilitation scheme, but this crucial issue has not been adequately addressed by the authorities.
