Joda: Special rapporteur of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), East Zone, Bibhuti Bhusan Misra, visited displacement-hit villages like Ravenshawpur (A and B), Gobindapur and Dadhuan in Keonjhar district for the second day Tuesday.
He reviewed human rights violations in the village where people were displaced by the Kanpur Irrigation Project.
Large scale displacement was caused by the Kanpur Irrigation Project on river Baitarani at Basudevpur.
During the second day of Misra’s visit, project affected villagers like Alekh Kumar Barik, Udaynath Barik, Madhab Palei, Bipin Barik, Rina Barik and Prabhakar Barik raised issues like non-implementation of cut off dates for rehabilitation and four times compensation for agricultural land, provision of basic facilities till rehabilitation, compensation for damage done by elephants and assistance for the landless living in the area.
Project director Ashok Kumar Panda, chief engineer Manoj Patra and other officials of the irrigation project were present at the review meeting.
On behalf of the Bistapita Core Committee spearheading the movement for the displaced people Naresh Sitari, Alekh Barik, Bablu Das and Foreign Samad attended the meeting.
Misra went to the tehsil offices at Barbil and Joda, checked some documents and reviewed development projects in the affected villages.
The rapporteur had Monday visited Chamakpur gram panchayat in Joda block and interacted with villagers who brought to his notice the dilapidated school in their locality. Misra had visited the dam site at Kanpur. Later, he talked to senior officials at the circuit house.
Misra is likely to visit Birikala gram panchayat July 18 and interact with project affected people.
PNN
