BARIPADA: In a bid to speed up the Deo Irrigation Project, Mayurbhanj administration is planning to relocate at least 60 more families in Karanjia sub-division.
This was decided at a meeting held on Wednesday by Karanjia Sub Collector Dr Rajanikanta Biswal in the presence of chief engineer Badal Kumar Sahoo, executive engineer Ajit Kumar Jena and SDPO Sudarshan Gangi.
The families, currently residing in Badaramchandrapur, Thakurpatana, Shyamchandrapur, Kadalibadi and Bada Barakamuda will be relocated to Batapanasa and another plot near the project site. The process will take place between December 17 and 22 in the presence of police and officials of the project.
Compensation, housing under various government schemes and temporary house facilities will be provided to the displaced families.
Earlier, administration had relocated 502 families out of the 1,040 families from Hatibari, Dudhiani and Miriginandi areas in different phases.
On June 25, the irrigation project released water on an experimental basis, 29 years after its inception, and was inaugurated by Collector Vineet Bhardwaj.
At least 9,000 hectare of land in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts are expected to get irrigated from the much-awaited project. Meanwhile, it has provided water to more than 3,500 hectare land for kharif cultivation this year in Mayurbhanj.