Joda: The administration has been holding public hearings one after another over the problems and demands of the people affected by the Kanpur Irrigation Project at Basudevpur in Keonjhar district, but the rehabilitation issue of the oustees is not being sorted out.
According to a report, people from 16 villages, who were displaced or affected by the project, have submitted a complaint with the sub-collector regarding their problems arising out of displacement and demanded proper rehabilitation.
Champua sub-collector Parul Patwari along with project director Ashok Kumar Panda, Joda BDO Arun Kumar Mallick and officials of various departments held a public hearing at Basudevpur inspection bungalow Monday.
In their complaint, the affected people put forth a plethora of problems and demands. They demanded steps to identify educated and unemployed youths of the project area and make them eligible for reservations in both government and private sector jobs.
They also pointed out that the government should change the category of land where they have been residing into homestead land. Among their other demands were road connectivity from Lonagothani via Balabhadrapur to NH-215, relocation of old temples and government and private educational institutions to the proposed rehabilitation colony, organising Palli Sabhas in each affected village and receiving complaints from the people before relocating them.
The affected people have also proposed a meeting of people’s representatives, members of Kanpur Budi Anchal Surakhya Samiti, members of RPDAC, officials of the administration, project officials, the chief engineer of project, the land acquisition officer and media persons.
They also demanded that the people who have been residing in government land over generations should be identified and included under compensation and rehabilitation package.
The affected people told media persons that the administration had assured them of looking into their problems and demands whenever they had staged agitations in the past, but the project authorities have given short shrift to the administration assurances.
President of Kanpur Bistapita Core Committee, Naresh Sitari, said since the displaced people have been deprived of basis rights, a complaint has been given at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has started an investigation.
Sitari also hinted that Damodar Sadangi, on behalf of NHRC, will visit the project affected area soon for more investigation.
Sub-collector Parul Patwari said many people had come with complaints in the presence of officials of various departments while the district administration will be apprised of the issues for resolution.
For the last four decades, the work of this mega irrigation project has not been completed while rehabilitation of the affected people has not been redressed.
Public hearings are being regularly held, but there is no end to the oustees’ plight. PNN
