The Northern Range RDC, Sambalpur, has hurriedly asked the stakeholders to be present at the RPDAC meeting on the plight of Kanpur displaced people to be held on November 2.

The decision of the RDC and the district administration has come just before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) deputed its Special Rapporteur to investigate the sensitive case of large-scale displacement of Kanpur Project on river Baitarani in Keonjhar district.

The NHRC passed the order following additional submissions filed by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Rahakanta Tripathy, after the Chief Secretary failed to submit a comprehensive report after investigation of the matter by a senior revenue official.

Earlier acting on the petition of Tripathy and reply filed by the State administration the NHRC sought detailed report from the Chief Secretary.

Challenging the reply of the State Government, Tripathy stated the reply submitted by the authority does not give true and correct picture of the plight of the affected people. Even if the Chief Secretary was asked to submit a detailed reply to the Commission with regard to the averments made in the petition the same has not been duly replied by him.

The report submitted by the State authority is just an eye wash. The report is silent on the RPDAC meeting interval, the number of people yet to be settled. No comprehensive report has been prepared with regard to the current land acquisition as per applicable law, rehabilitation and resettlement of the villagers as per the policy, the status of bare necessities of life, Tripathy further alleged.

The NHRC finally deputed its Special Rapporteur Damodar Sarangi to visit the affected area to assess the situation by associating the villagers and the administration and to recommend measures to be taken for protection of human rights of the affected people, within eight weeks.