BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a comprehensive report from the State government on large scale displacement for Hirakud dam project seven decades back and rehabilitation and resettlement of more than 26,000 families.
The apex human rights watchdog has asked the Chief Secretary to submit detailed information related to survey of lands and villages, regularisation of land allotted to outstees besides, the facilities created for the dam affected people.
Adjudicating a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC has directed the Chief Secretary to reply by December 7. The direction came in the wake of the report by Special Rapporteur BB Mishra that highlighted that a large number of people have not received compensation and are yet to be settled.
Although pursuant to the Commission’s earlier direction, the then RDC (Northern Division), in his report claimed that steps were taken from time to time to mitigate grievances of the displaced families, Tripathy in his rejoinder, alleged that the displaced families are yet to be compensated and rehabilitated.More than one lakh people were displaced and 360 villages covering more than 123,000 acre of land taken over for the dam project during 1952-53.
Even about 70 years after the large scale displacement, the third generation of the victims are yet to be compensated due to apathetic attitude of the administration, Tripathy alleged.The Commission has asked to furnish details of persons, including the legal heirs, who have been paid compensation so far along with the details of newspaper publications issued throughout the period.