Bolangir: Uncertainty continues to plague the fate of Lower Suktel irrigation project in the district as the oustees insisted on fulfillment of three of their main demands before start of the dam works, a report said Monday.
The matter came to fore during a meeting held between the project-affected people of Pardhiapalli, Koindapalli and Khuntapalli villages, and a team of senior officials led by the newly appointed project director Mahendra Mohapatra for rehabilitation and resettlement for the Lower Suktel project. The project-affected people refused to budge and insisted on fulfillment of their demands first before going ahead with the dam works.
The project-affected people demanded Rs6 lakh compensation for per acre of land, housing plots as demanded by the people to be displaced and financial assistance to all the project affected youths who have attained 18 years of age by December 31, 2020.
They submitted a memorandum of their demands to the officials addressed to the Collector. The project-affected demanded that the District Collector should send their demands to the state government recommending for its approval. The officials assured the project-affected villagers to inform the Collector about their demands.
The state government could start the dam works only after fulfilling their demands, they said. The project-affected of Pardhiapalli village also insisted for payment of the second installment of their compensation towards rehabilitation.
The meeting held under a banyan tree at the end of Pardhiapalli village was attended by the project-affected villagers and the newly appointed project director Mahendra Mohapatra for rehabilitation and resettlement of Lower Suktel project. Mohapatra was accompanied by project chief engineer Niranjan Rout, special land acquisition officer (in-charge) Biswaranjan Mallick, and other officials.
Pardhiapalli village was represented by Rabindra Gadatya while Narasingh Pradhan, Umakant Khuas and Sudhir Khuas represented Khuntapalli village. Similarly, Kshymanidhi Bhoi, Kishore Gadatya and other villagers represented Koindapalli village.
The state government has launched measures to start the dam works which has been lying shelved for the last two and a half years. Earlier, the project-affected villagers had a meeting with the Collector Chanchal Rana and SP Nitin Kushalkar on this issue, January 8. Three days later, the project officials visited the area and held a second phase meeting with the villagers, Monday.
PNN