The Executive Engineers of Salandi Canal Division and Drainage Division and land Acquisition Officer of Bhadrak along with Water Resource Additional Secretary would appear before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on February 1 in connection with massive rights violation in Reba-Kapali and Salandi Sanskar river renovation projects.

It was in 2007 that the Odisha Government took up Salandi-Nalia River Sanskar project in Bhadrak district with a budget of Rs 99.14 crore to control flood and provide irrigation facility. Subsequently, the Government took up the Reba-Kapali Sanskar Yojana in 2008 to clean the congestion in the rivulets at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

Noted social activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy filed cases before the NHRC in May, 2008 highlighting the plight of more than the 10,000 displaced victims in Salandi Sanskar project and the gross illegalities committed by the officials. In 2009 he again moved the NHRC bringing the plight of more than 5,000 victims of Reba-Kapali Yojana. In both the petitions, he prayed the NHRC to intervene and protect the human rights of the victims, compensate and rehabilitate them for the land acquired and stop demolition of their houses with protection of environment.

Salandi Nalia Sanskar Project is basically for renovation of the rivers Salandi, its tributary Nalia, Das Mouja Canal and Dandi Nala wherein about 10,000 families live in 78 revenue villages in and around the project. In case of Reba-Kapali Project about 5,000 villagers are affected in more than 50 revenue villages under Bhadrak, Bhandari Pokhari, Dhamnagar and Tihidi Blocks respectively.

Pursuant to the direction of the NHRC, the Chief Secretary of the State sent various reports. However, the reports seemed dubious. Therefore the NHRC sent its Special Rapporteur three times to investigate the cases in Bhadrak district alone. After field enquiry many illegalities cropped up and the administration bowed down before the same.

Taking serious note of the fact that none has been compensated in the Reba-Kapali Yojana and a villager namely Bidyadhar Basantia who is also a victim of the project has been tortured and asked to pay bribe and the wood cutters engaged by him to cut standing trees on his own land are arrested, the NHRC expressed deep concern.

The apex rights panel also asked its Special Rapporteur Mr Damodar Sarangi to be present in the Commission on the same date.