BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments to submit action taken reports on the present condition of people displaced for the construction of Hirakud dam. The apex human rights panel has also sought compliance report from the chief secretaries of both the states in response to the interim report submitted by Special Rapporteur BB Mishra.
The commission has deputed Mishra once again for conducting further investigation and submit his final report in eight weeks. More than one lakh people were displaced and 360 villages covering more than 1,23,000 acre of land taken over for the dam project during 1952-53. Even nearly seven decades after the large-scale displacement, the third generation of some of the oustees are yet to be compensated due to apathetic attitude of the administration.
The NHRC has been passing a series of directions adjudicating the petition and rejoinder filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.“The State authorities have been playing dirty tricks of consuming time and delaying the process of ensuring basic human rights of victims. The Special Rapporteur has visited few areas and submitted interim report explaining the tragic condition of human life due to failure and inaction of the State,” Tripathy said.