KENDRAPARA: Disgruntled over the alleged delay in rehabilitation, residents of sea-erosion hit Satabhaya gram panchayat on Thursday sat on indefinite hunger strike in front of the tehsil office at Rajnagar demanding the Kendrapara administration to shift them to a safer location immediately.
Sudarshan Mallick, a Satabhaya local alleged that the proposed rehabilitation plan of around 235 families was moving at a snail’s pace due to the slipshod attitude of the authorities.
“The sea is crawling menacingly and can devour our villages any moment. Around 571 Satabhaya families were rehabilitated to Bagapatia five years back but the rest 235 families are now just a stone’s throw away from the sea. So we urge the administration to rehabilitate us with immediate effect,” he added.
Contacted, Rajnagar tehsildar Ashwini Kumar Bhuyan said application for rehabilitation of 235 families of Satabhaya has already been received. “We will check their applications on July 11 and 12 at Bagapatia in their presence and rehabilitate them after proper verification,” he added.
Earlier on April 28, 5T secretary VK Pandian had visited the rehabilitation colony at Bagapatia after which he had directed the district administration to chalk out a plan to rehabilitate the remaining families.