NHRC representative meets displaced people in Orissa

The special rapporteur of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has visited a colony of people displaced for a steel project near Gopalpur in Ganjam district of Orissa in 1997 and discussed their problems.

Damodar Sarangi held a discussion with the displaced people, presently settled at the rehabilitation colony, and also with the officials of the district administration yesterday, official sources said.

The visit followed a petition by an advocate T K Reddy who alleged violation of human rights of the displaced people who had "no alternative sources of income".

Around 574 families of at least five villages were settled in the rehabilitation colony. Over 4500 acres of land in nine villages had been acquired in 1997 for the purpose. The proposed steel plant, however, is yet to come up.

Meanwhile, the company has decided to set up an Industrial Park in the acquired land and Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone recently.