Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday sought a detail report from the state government on the rehabilitation and resettlement of over 26,000 families during the construction of the Hirakud Dam project.
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Hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and Supreme Court advocate Radhakant Tripathy, the NHRC directed Odisha Chief Secretary to submit a report to the Commission by December 7.
Decades after the completion of this ambitious project in Odisha, the displaced families still await rehabilitation as well as to get adequate compensation. In his petition before the Commission, the human rights activist had mentioned about the plight of displaced families.
Notably, nearly 1,23,000 acres of habitation in over 360 villages were submerged due to the construction of Hirakud Dam.
Over one lakh people were displaced from the project site. Even the third generation of displaced families has been deprived from getting justice owing to the administrative neglect, Tripathy alleged.
Notably, Revenue Commissioner (Northern Division) had stated in a previous report submitted to the NHRC that land acquisition for Hirakud Dam project was taken up in 1952. Administrative action to rehabilitate the displaced families from districts like Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Subarnapur were taken up at different points of time. However, some of the displaced families are to get adequate compensation and still await rehabilitation as well.
PNN