Even after one year of order, the Baleswar district administration is yet to submit its inquiry report to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Kansbans-Gamei River Renovation Project for which a large number of people have been ‘forcibly’ displaced.
The NHRC, acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court advocate and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, had earlier sought an action taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretary. Tripathy had alleged that forceful displacement of more than 5,000 people, including Dalits and poor farmers, and taking of public-use landby the Government amounted to serious threats to human rights.
He requested the NHRC to ensure compensation as per the land Acquisition Act and R&R policy to the Kansbans-Gamei Sanskar project affected people besides taking care of the environment at large.
In its later order, the NHRC had directed that the district administration of Baleswar and Bhadrak should conduct inquiry into the alleged issue. They were scheduled to complete the inquiries by December 31, 2014
The two district administrations too assured the NHRC that proper surveys would be conducted and appropriate compensation would be paid to the affected. However, they are yet to keep their promises for which thousands of land losers are suffering. Now poor farmers, who have lost land, seem to have been prone to commit suicides. Tripathy said he would further apprise the NHRC about the plights of the displaced, including poor farmers.