Bolangir: Works on the Lower Suktel irrigation project got a fillip as the district administration launched an eviction drive in the project affected Pardhiapalli village for the first time, 20 years after the start of the project, Tuesday, a report said.
Tuesday marked an important day for the project as the district officials accompanied by nine platoons of police supervised the demolition of eight houses in the village.
Similarly, houses of 50 villagers were demolished on the second day, Wednesday. The project which was launched with an outlay Rs 217 crore has now reached Rs 3000 crore.
However, for the first time, villagers did not oppose the demolition drive and only sought some more time in evacuating the village. They urged the district and police officials not to evict them from the village during the Covid pandemic and rainy season.
However, the officials informed them that the houses of only those persons will be demolished who have received the ex-gratia and second installment of compensation.
Later, the houses of Seshadev Gadatya, Dagar Biswal, Sabitri Bariha, Netaji Gadatya, Durga Dharua, Pitambar Bag, Laba Barik and a club building were demolished with the help of a JCB earth mover during the drive.
The displaced villagers carrying their belongings in the vehicles arranged by the district administration and accompanied by their family members soon left the village for elsewhere.
People have been cooperating in the displacement drive as they have been provided with compensation, sub-collector Lambodar Dharua said.
As a result, the first phase demolition drive concluded peacefully by Tuesday evening.
The demolition drive started in the morning in the presence of Lambodar Dharua, sub-collector, Mahendra Mohapatra, project director, rehabilitation and resettlement (R &R) of Lower Suktel Irrigation Project, Niranjan Rout, chief engineer, Kumar Nagbhusan, special land acquisition officer, Meghaban Bag, tehsildar, Tophan Bag, Sadar SDPO and other administrative and police officials.
According to available reports, 222 families out of 290 families in the village have been paid exgratia and the second installment of the compensation over last four months.
The rest of the families having some problems in evacuating have been spared from the demolition drive. All the villagers will have to be displaced from the village but their problems will be resolved first and their houses will be demolished in phases, the officials said.
The displacement drive will soon begin in Koindapalli and Khuntapalli, two other affected villages, the officials said. Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the irrigation project in 2001.
However, the project failed to start due to stiff opposition from the locals. Later, some works started but it soon got mired in a controversy due to a land scam and other problems.
Similarly, parallel agitations also took place to finish the project works at a faster pace as it is an important project for the district. The project works only moved ahead after a high-powered committee formed by the state government intervened and appointed various officials for the project.
The project work moved only after the problems of the displaced villagers were resolved in public hearing camps and ex-gratia paid to them.
PNN