ROURKELA: More than 400 villagers, affected by the earth dam of Rukura Irrigation Project, organised a protest meeting in Gurundia block on Wednesday demanding proper implementation of the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policy. Lending a voice to the cause of the villagers of Bandhabhui, Musapali, Katuridhuan and Kantabahal was Birmitrapur MLA and tribal leader George Tirkey. The villagers alleged that though they had favoured the dam construction, the Sundargarh district administration should implement the R&R policy in letter and spirit and pay their dues before going ahead with the construction works.George disputed the administration’s claims in which the affected families were shown as 695, including 276 families, being categorised as ‘displaced’. George said they favour the project provided all the affected families get their legitimate dues before restarting work. As per the R&R policy of 2006, as many as 1,230 families would be affected, Tirkey said. He also alleged that some of the affected families were offered barren land and demanded that villagers should be given fertile farmland and the resettlement colony should have all basic amenities. Earlier, Executive Engineer of the project Sunil Naik had categorically said that as per the latest R&R policy 695 affected families were identified of which 276 were earmarked as ‘displaced families’. The project undertaken by the Water Resources Department at an estimated cost of ` 156 crore was scheduled to be completed in July this year and cover 74 villages in Gurundia and Bonai blocks.Administrative sources confided that as the Bonai sub-collector could not expedite the land acquisition process and pay compensation packages in time, he was replaced by the Sundargarh land acquisition officer Bhagwan Sahu on November 22. The administration is yet to begin negotiation with the agitators who stopped work from November 5.
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