Bolangir: The Lower Suktel irrigation project got into a deeper controversy after a survey found out urban dwellers have bought land in submergence prone Bijapati village at the project site, a report said.
The development baffled the survey team as outsiders, who had nothing to do in the small village, have purchased land only to grab compensations and rehabilitation benefits meant for displaced residents, the report said.
It was apprehended that the development might further delay the completion of the project which is already moving at a snail’s pace. Sources said Bijapati is a small village at the project site comprising a single ward. The village will be submerged once the project comes up in the area.
The village had only 20 holdings in 1976 settlement. However, much to the surprise of the survey team, the number of holdings has increased to 113. This has happened as the outsiders have acquired land in the village.
A probe found that many residents of Bolangir and people from within and outside of the state have purchased two to three decimals in the village as they know that the village will be submerged once the project comes up in the area. The outsiders purchased land with an intent to grab heavy compensations and rehabilitation benefits meant for the displaced.
This has pushed the project into a deeper controversy as a fresh probe was launched to identify outsiders.
It was decided that those people who were original residents on the village before 2000 and had purchased or sold land during the period will be entitled to receive compensations and rehabilitation benefits.
The outsiders who have planned to loot money from the government exchequer will not receive any compensation and rehabilitation benefits. They will only receive the value for their land and nothing else.
Reports said the district administration issued land acquisition notification 4 (1) under the Land Acquisition Act-1894 in 15 villages to the south of the Lower Suktel river after start of the project work in 2001.
However, the project work failed got stalled. After several attempts and agitation, work on the spillway started in 2013. However, land acquisition could not be taken up in 14 villages the north of the river due to strong opposition to the project by a local outfit named Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad.
Later, the government decided to acquire land based on the Land Acquisition Act-2013 and issued a notification 11(1) in Bijapati village which is one of the 14 villages to the north of the river. The survey team reached the village and started a survey.
The team during the survey included trees, houses and wells of people to be displaced. However, the team members were surprised when they found scores of outsiders purchasing land in the village only to grab compensations and rehabilitation benefits.
PNN