Harabhangi Displaced Yet to be Compensated

BERHAMPUR:  Displaced families of two villages in Mohana block of Gajapati district under the aegis of Harabhanga Bisthapita Mahasangha on Saturday organised a protest meeting at Bebari village and decided to resort to agitation.

Sources said at least 30 families of Bebari and Pankalbadi villages in Aliganda panchayat of the block, who were displaced during construction of Harabhangi Irrigation Project, are yet to be compensated as per the Government norms even after 26 years.

Tamuka Sabar, a Ward Member of the panchayat, said 22 families in Bebari and eight families in Pankalbadi villages  were displaced and rehabilitated in 1990. As per the Government norms, each displaced family was to get 20 decimals of homestead land and 2.5 acres of cultivable land. But the lands are yet to be demarcated by revenue officials.

So far, the displaced families have received `46,000 each, including `20,000 for cultivation and `20,000 for maintenance, he alleged.

In the rehabilitated villages, only two tubewells were sunk and two open wells were dug. But now, the tubewells are lying defunct while the open wells dried up. “Though we brought our problems to the notice of the Collector, RDC (South) and irrigation officials several times, but to no avail,” Sabar said.

Recently, a high-level team of Irrigation department met the displaced families and submitted a report to the State Government. But it is yet to yield any result. Now, the villagers have no option but to resort to agitation, they said.