NHRC Notice To Odisha Govt On Displaced Families Of Irrigation Project

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Odisha government seeking action taken report on rehabilitation of the families displaced by the major irrigation project at Kanpur in Keonjhar district.

The NHRC issued the notice after hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Radha Kant Tripathy on Friday.

Tripathy, in his petition, stated that around 500 families belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and poor communities of Murusuan, Chamakpur and nearby villages under Basudevpur block were displaced due to the project.

He alleged that though the villager were forcibly evicted from their houses, they are yet to be rehabilitated or paid compensation. “They are forced to live under sky as the district administration did not conduct a proper survey before demolishing their houses,” the TOI quoted Tripathy as stating in the petition.

Mentioning that these families were deprived of their basic rights, the activist appealed to the commission to intervene in the matter.

The commission has directed the chief secretary to file the action taken report on the matter within four weeks.