The residents of Pardhiapali, a village near the lower Suktel Irrigation Project dam site, have threatened to stop the project work from Friday if their demands are not fulfilled.
Their demands submitted to the district Collector include implementation of land Acquisition Act of 2013 and payment of compensation as per the rules of 2013, payment of compensation money at a time, rather than by installments, rehabilitation of homeless people on a priority basis, providing Record of Rights (ROR) to the displaced people, sorting out issues in Gramsabha, treating of Mahul trees as fruit bearing trees and payment of compensation accordingly.
The lower Suktel irrigation project although was approved way back in 1996-97 by the then Planning Commission at cost of around Rs 217.13 crore, and its foundation was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2001, it is still incomplete thanks to large scale irregularities of funds running to crores which was detected by an audit, besides opposition by locals and official apathy
If sources are to be believed, many people other than those from the displaced area have purchased land in the proposed submerged and affected villages of lower Suktel in collusion with venal officials, when the project was halted, expecting to get hefty money as compensation.
Although the project cost was around Rs 217.13crore initially, it has crossed around Rs 2,450crore now. The project, once completed, would provide irrigation to 31,830 hectares of land in Balangir and Subarnapur districts.
So far according to sources, the district administration has not been able to serve land acquisition notice in at least 11villages thanks to protests by the villagers who are demanding construction of small barrage to provide irrigation and zero displacement.