The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a reminder to its Special Rapporteur to submit his report over large-scale displacements in Kanpur irrigation project on the Baitarani river in Keonjhar district.
Taking serious note of an earlier petition and subsequent submissions filed by rights activist, lawyer and petitioner in the case Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC sought the report within six weeks.
The NHRC has appointed Bibhuti Bhushan Misra as Special Rapporteur for the East Zone.
In the month of July this year Special Rapporteur Mishra and petitioner Tripathy had visited the villagers of affected area and taken note of the illegalities.
Tripathy alleged that thousands of displaced and other affected parties have been suffering and the reply submitted by the authorities does not give true and correct picture of the plight of the affected people.
The report submitted by the State authorities is just an eye wash.
He told that the report is silent on the number of people yet to be settled, lack of basic infrastructure and denial of bare necessities among the project-hit. The reality is that the poverty stricken tribal and Dalit villagers have been rendered homeless and forced to die without food, shelter and livelihood etc.
No comprehensive report has been prepared with regard to the current land acquisition as per applicable under law, Tripathy further alleged.