The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Bhadrak District Magistrate (DM) to conduct an inquiry into the displacement of 50 Scheduled Tribe families in Nua-Adivasi Colony in Geltua area in Bhadrak district and asked him to submit action taken report (ATR) within four weeks.
Rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy approached the NHRC to intervene for survival of displaced poor tribals.
Nearly 50 ST families who are now living BPl in Nua-Adivasi Colony on the outskirts of Bhadrak district headquarters are yet to be supplied with basic facilities like ration cards though they were displaced in 1996 from their original habitation (Gaba Sahi) for the purpose of construction of buildings for higher officials of the district.
The Food and Civil Supplies department in connivance with the unscrupulous elements has been adopting dirty tricks to deny the basic entitlements of these poor illiterate villagers, said Radhakanta.
The corrupt practice and recent attack on one of the villagers speaks volumes of the tragic story of the human rights situation of the villagers, added the petitioner.
“Even though all of them had BPl cards when they were staying at Gaba Sahi, many of them are not supplied with BPl cards when they have been shifted to Nua-Adivasi Colony, the present habitation. Some of them are also deprived of Indira Awas adding salt to the wounds,” Radhakanta alleged.
He urged the commission to send the Special Rapporteur to visit the village, collect facts and assess the human rights violation suffered by the poor tribal villagers for a long time and to direct the Government for an impartial probe into the matter.