Bhubaneswar 
WR
Secy invites aggrieved people for talks with CS
WR
Secy invites aggrieved people for talks with CS
Friday, 04 January 2013 18:52
SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
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Principal Secretary of the Water
Resources (WR) Department Suresh Chandra Mahapatra on Thursday extended
invitation to members of the Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad for
direct and detailed talks with the Chief Secretary in Bhubaneswar within next
10 days.
He was addressing the residents of
the villages, which are to be submerged due to construction of the project dam,
at Gadshankar-Dunguripali, 20 km from the Balangir district headquarters here.
Participating in the discussion,
Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad president Udaya Singh Thakur pointed
out that they are in favour of construction of small check dams which would
cause zero displacement besides providing irrigation.
“Our area is known as a vegetable
basket of the district. Why shall we leave this place and lose of our land and
livelihood? Once we are displaced, we would be forced to begging. If the
Government is serious, it should provide fertile land to farmers in the command
and irrigated areas first and then discuss with us.” Thakur argued.
He pointed out that even today
people displaced for the Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district are yet to get
compensation. “Once the construction of the dam is over, nobody would remember
us,” he said.
Thakur alleged that many people have
purchased lands in the area since 2001 in connivance with Government officials
for getting fat compensation. If the project is shelved, it would be a great loss
for them, for which they are clamouring for the Lower Suktel Project, he said,
adding that even till December 31, registration of lands in this area was going
on.
For a meaningful solution to the
issue, it would be better to have detailed talks with the Chief Secretary. A
meeting with the Chief Secretary could be fixed in the next 10 days, said
Principal Secretary Suresh Mahapatra after listening to various points
presented by the members of the Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad.
Expressing regret over the neglect
to members of the Parishad in the recent round of talks on the project held in
Bhubaneswar, Mahapatra explained the benefits of irrigation and flood control
of the multipurpose Hirakud Dam and the steps taken by his department in
constructing small barrages and their advantages to people.
Later, Mahapatra visited two dam
site villages, Pardhiapali and Koindapali, and held talks with people there.
Among others, the district Collector, the Superintendent of Police and other
district-level officials accompanied Mahapatra.
Earlier in the morning, the police
detained Samajwadi Party district president Arun Mishra as a preventive
measure.
Sri Ghunu Sahu is the President of Budi Anchal sangram Parishad.
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