The Bolangir Action Committee would launch a relay hunger strike before the district Collectorate from March 16 demanding resumption of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project work, which has been stopped since last 20 months, and adequate compensation to the displaced people and their rehabilitation with dignity.
This was announced at a Press conference here by Gopalji Panigrahi of the committee on Saturday. “A total of 38 different organisations and members of different political parties have supported us and they will participate in the relay hunger strike,” he said.
The members would sit on hunger strike for five hours from 8 am to 1 pm each day. While Action Committee members would stage the strike on March 16 and 17, members of the Citizen Committee would participate in the stir on March 18 and 19. On March 20, Congress party members would stage dharna followed by BJP activists next day.
People of the project-affected areas would also join the stir, said Panigrahi.
The project, which was approved under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in 1997 at a cost of Rs 217 crore, still remains uncompleted and its cost has escalated to Rs 2,400 crore thanks to the Government’s apathy, opposition by local people and irregularities and corruption in its implementation.
Due to the project, as many as 29 villages would be affected. The district administration has so far touched 15 villages only. The villagers have been opposing the project from the beginning and they are in favour of a zero-displacement policy.