NHRC Special Rapporteur begins probe

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

The National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) Special Rapporteur has reached Keonjhar to investigate the sensitive case of large-scale displacement by the Kanpur project on the Baitarani river in Keonjhar district.

Taking serious note of earlier petition and subsequent submissions filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC has sought a report.

The NHRC has directed the Special Rapporteur to visit the affected area to assess the situation by associating the villagers and the administration and to recommend measures to be taken for protection of human rights of the affected people and submit his report to the commission.

The pro-bono lawyer of the case Tripathy alleged that thousands of displaced and other affected parties have been suffering and the reply submitted by the authorities does not give true and correct picture of the plight of the affected people. The report submitted by the State authorities is just eyewash.

The report is silent on the RPDAC meeting interval, the number of people yet to be settled, lack of basic infrastructure and deprivation of bare necessities of life are the reality in the area wherein the poverty-stricken tribal and dalit villagers would be homeless and forced to die without food, shelter and livelihood, alleged Tripathy.

No comprehensive report has been prepared with regard to the current land acquisition as per applicable law, rehabilitation and resettlement of the villagers as per the policy and the status of bare necessities of life, Tripathy further alleged.

Reaching the district headquarters of Keonjhar, the Special Rapporteur has started assessing the situation after two rounds of discussions with the Project Director Ashok Kumar Panda and Chief Engineer Manoj Kumar Patra and other officials.

He also held discussion with the petitioner Tripathy, president of core committee of the displaced people Naresh Chandra Sitary and president of the Senior Citizens’ Forum Kiran Kumar Sahu

While the district administration admits partially the mistakes and claims only 185 families are to be rehabilitated, the core committee demands the number is more 3,000.

The Rapporteur will visit Chamakpur gram panchayat on Monday Kandara panchayat on Tuesday and Birikala GP on Wednesday and interact with the victims on the spot.