BARIPADA: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra reviewed the progress of the ongoing Deo Irrigation Project during a visit to Karanjia in Mayurbhanj on Friday.
Mahapatra was accompanied by Collector Vineet Bhardwaj, SP Rishikesh D Khilari, Karanjia Sub-Collector Dr Rajanikanta Biswal, and other officials on his visit to the project site at Hatibari where he took stock of the work on Earth Dam and Spill Way.
Earlier, district administration had relocated as many as 984 families of nine villages and compensated them under Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy-2006 besides shifting of Jahiresthan (tribal shrine) to facilitate the project.
Alongside, at least 847.5 hectare of land including 464.94 private lands were used for the project. “We have directed officials concerned to complete the project by March 31 this year as around 90 per cent of work is already over,” said Biswal.
The multi-purpose project was saddled with roadblocks since its inauguration in June, 1992 including delays in land acquisition and irregular allocation of funds by the State government. Water was released on an experimental basis last year to irrigate around 3,500 hectare land during the kharif season. The project, once complete, is slated to cover more than 9,900 hectare in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar.