Wrong survey and faulty implementation of R&R policy of 2006 is the cause of delay in Kanpur Irrigation Project which is said to be a dream project of Keonjhar district. This was told by Radhakanta Tripathy, Supreme Court advocate and social activist here on Saturday during his visit to the project site whose construction has been stopped by the affected people since more than one year.
He further told that in order to study the ground report of the project, he himself has come from New Delhi. Tripathy had gone to see the condition of two rehabilitated sites of Dampur and Basudevpur where 48 affected families each are declared to have been rehabilitated but there has been no development of infrastructure for basic amenities of life.
like wise, he also met 384 families those who have not been paid any DP which had been agreed upon by the then project authority to provide them land in lieu of land. Sources revealed that as per survey report of the project, there are total 5,557 affected families in 17 revenue village to be displaced out of which 2,217 families have received their full DP, 2,956 families have received payment partly, besides the above 384 families who have received no DP.
Tripathy said such things would not have happened if the Government had conducted a Palli Sabha to take the consent of the villagers prior to take the final decision on the mega project. He felt very sorry to know how all the Government welfare schemes have been stopped by the State Government to put pressure on the affected people to leave the project area.
The activist told that he will file additional submission before the NHRC and write to the agencies of the Government so that project can be completed and affected people will get their due.