FRIDAY,
28 SEPTEMBER 2012 17:59
SUDHIR
MISHRA | BALANGIR
HITS:
23
·
·
·
Following stiff protest from the
villagers, the construction work for Lower Suktel irrigation project worth
`1,042 crore, which started on Thursday, was stalled after a few hours.
Despite the fact that police imposed Section 144 at the project
site to restore normalcy, the Odisha Construction Corporation officials could
not resume the construction works and returned from the site after
one-and-a-half hours.
At around 9 am, the company officials and workers, along with
district officials, including ADM and Chief Engineer RC Padhee, started the
spillway construction works after performing puja at the site in the presence
of police force. However, while the work was in progress, the protesters led by
Ghunu Sahu, Udaya Singh Thakur and other members of the Lower Suktel Budi
Anchal Sangram Parishad, besides Samajwadi Party’s Balangir unit president Arun
Mishra and party members, staged a demonstration at Magurbeda construction
site, 30 km away from here, and forced the officials to stop the work. The
protesters demanded adequate compensation to the displaced.
Under the banner of Lower Suktel Sangram Parishad, hundreds of
protesters, including women and school children, sat in a dharna at the
construction site and said that they will not allow the officials to start work
until their demands are fulfilled. Some of the protesters demanded that the
Chief Minister should come and discuss with the displaced people and let all
the people get compensation, before the project work is undertaken.
Following the strong protest from the people, the ADM and other
officials intimated with their higher authorities and returned from the site.
“We have postponed the work today after intimating with higher authorities
about the situation. We shall work as per the direction of the State
Government,” ADM Sadhab Minz told the media.
It may be noted that on Wednesday, the members of the Budi
Anchal Sangram Parishad had declared the construction site as prohibited area
by putting up red flags.
To keep a vigilant eye on the movement of protesters and control
any untoward incident, the district administration deployed four platoons of
armed police force and one platoon of Special Police Officers at the site.
No comments:
Post a Comment