Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report along with an action taken report (ATR) from the Odisha Chief Secretary on the rehabilitation and resettlement of 5,000 families displaced due to execution of Kanpur major irrigation project on river Baitarini at Basudevpur in Keonjhar district.
The rights body has directed the Chief Secretary to submit the detailed report and ATR within four weeks.
The NHRC sought the reports on the basis of a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist Radha Kanta Tripathy.
Tripathy has alleged in his petition that due to the administrative failure of the district and State administration 5,000 displaced families are yet to be rehabilitated and resettled.
He has stated that the majority of the 5,000 families displaced due to the major irrigation project at Basudevpur are from the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities.
Tripathy has mentioned in the petition that as a consequence of the administrative apathy, the displaced families are forced to live under the open sky.
He has prayed for complete rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced persons as well as payment of compensation to them.
Worth mentioning, in accordance with the directive of the NHRC, Deputy Secretary of the State Home Department had submitted a report to the rights body on December 9, 2021.
