The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to re-open the closed cases pertaining to human rights violation in Salandi-Nalia and Reba-Kapali Sanskar Yojana in Bhadrak district of Odisha.

In its latest order NHRC said, “In order to remove the confusion, it may be appropriate to hear the complainant Radhakanta Tripathy and also NHRC Special Rapporteur Damodar Sarangi, for a detailed discussion in the matter.” The matter will come up coming up on March 5, 2018. Earlier, due to the closure of the case more than one thousand families left hope for compensation and rehabilitation under the law.

Most important to mention here that the high level investigations in both the projects have opened eyes of masses and exposed corruption and large scale human rights violation in both the projects.

Tripathy filed PIls in various forums including NHRC. However, the NHRC took up the cases and deputed its Special Rapporteur thrice to investigate the cases. Subsequently more than four hundred victims filed cases before the NHRC seeking justice. As on date more than eighty percent victims in Salandi Sanskar project and about forty percent victims in Reba-Kapali Project have received compensation.

Tripathy who has been fighting the case since the beginning of violation has moved separate applications for re-opening the cases as there are large number of victims whose grievance remain unaddressed till date and plethora of other issues, like sluice gates, water-logging and embankment dams .

It was in the 2007 that the Odisha Government took up one project viz., Salandi-Nalia River Sanskar project and subsequently Reba-Kapali River Project in Bhadrak district with a budget of Rs 99.14 crore and 32 crores respectively to control floods and provide more irrigation facilities.

Due to fear and ignorance, the victims of the project did not raise their voice against the illegalities in the execution of the project. A few who did were attacked and threatened with dire consequences.