Bolangir: It is said that Lower Suktel Major Irrigation Project, once set up, would usher in good time for the farmers of Bolangir district. However, the project has been hanging fire for over two decades now.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the project in 2001. However, 20 years after the foundation ceremony, project-affected Paradihapalli villagers were relocated June 29, 2021.
The residents of this pro-project village had agreed to relocate after they received full compensations and rehabilitation benefits. Out of 289 families of this village, 222 families have already relocated, sources said.
The administration has distributed homestead land to 47 of these families in Lower Suktel rehabilitation colony at Larkipalli.
The project-displaced people have alleged that there is no semblance of basic facilities at the place where they have been asked to relocate. Three to four years before the Paradhiapalli villagers were relocated, some project-displaced people had been relocated here.
Plots had been identified for 72 families at a place in front of the CRPF camp site. Twenty families have shifted here on their own and are living by themselves.
Even 20 years after the rehabilitation site had been identified, basic facilities have not been made available to people, indicating crass failure of the administration.
There are no roads, drinking water, healthcare, school, streetlights, and similar other basic amenities in the rehabilitation site. Some families who had shifted here are living a hard life.
These project-affected people alleged that the administration has not taken even a fraction of interest in their well-being as it has taken for the setting up of the major irrigation project.
Snakes are slithering into their homes. The whole area is covered under darkness as there are no streetlights in the area. There is no drinking water. People live on bore wells that they themselves have dug.
Besides, families who have shifted here first are yet to get land pattas while those who relocated here after them have been provided with land pattas.
District Collector Chanchal Rana said he would look into these issues and will try to resolve them as early as possible.
The District Collector has issued directions to departmental engineer and other senior officials to ensure that project-affected people get all facilities including roads, drains, drinking water, streetlights and all other basic amenities within two and half months.
Proper rehabilitation of the project-affected people at the centre will encourage those waiting to relocate to the rehabilitation centre. This will also quicken the construction work of the Lower Sutkel major irrigation project, the displaced people said.
PNN