The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) to consider the case of failure of the State Government and District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Bhadrak resulted in deaths of at least eight people in last three years.
Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy filed a petition before the NHRC and sought Commission’s intervention to ensure safe and motorable communication between Sundarpur and Datadharpur by constructing a bridge over Rebakapli river. About 10,000 villagers of Padhani, Arjunpur, Pala Sahi, Hasnabad, Karada, Sundarpur panchayats are dependent on a handmade bridge over Rebakapali river.
“Due to lack of bridge and road the villagers including the children and women use this endangered bridge. In Palasahi panchayat alone four persons have died in mishaps in the year 2013 due to non-availability of a bridge. The State has failed to ensure basic human rights of the people of the area and the Government also witness loss of lives,” Radhakanta alleged.
He urged the Commission to visit the area and assess the plight of the unfortunate villagers/victims, besides directing the State to act over the issue on a war footing and ensure the basic human rights of the people who are on the verge of death and have been leading fearful life without basic human rights.