The Department of Water Resources has decided not to rehabilitate the spinners and weavers of Nuapada district who have lost their livelihood due to the closer of a Khadi manufacturing unit which would be submerged in lower Indra Irrigation Project in Nuapada.
The Department agreed to provide compensation for land acquisition but denied to rehabilitate about 162 the spinners and weavers, who have been affected directly due this decision of the department.
Kalahandi Vikash Parishad, one of the premier Khadi organisations of Odisha, had trained hundreds of tribal and Dalit people, especially women of Nuapada district, on spinning and weaving of Khadi materials and running a small Khadi industry to address the problems of drought and unemployment in Nuapada. The organization had never taken any Government or foreign support to develop infrastructure for running various Khadi production activities. But now when the land and infrastructure of the institution are going to submerge in the dam, the Government is bluntly denying to provide any succour.
“During Biju Patnaik premiership, we were encouraged to start Khadi production unit in Nuapada to provide employment to the poor people. We were assured of financial support but we did not get any support in last 20 years,” lamented KVS secretary Rabi Dash.
“We ran the Khadi business on our own with people’s support. However, instead of recognising our efforts, they destroyed our livelihood but did not consider for our rehabilitation and resettlement,” he added.
Rabi Dash had taken the issue to all levels. He has been writing to the Government on this matter since last eight years but, no one, starting from the land Acquisition Officer of lIIP at Khariar to the Principal Secretary of Department of Water Resources, has paid any heed.
The members of the organisation conducted a meeting on Tuesday in the weaving centre at Sanbaheli village and decided to continue their struggle till the end. “We will fight to restore our livelihood right and move court if necessary,” they said.