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| Anti-Suktel activists protest at the site where the proposed dam will be constructed. Telegraph picture |
Balangir, Dec. 21: The Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad, which has been opposing the irrigation project, has rejected the offer of the state government for tripartite talks in the state capital on Saturday.
The government had called representatives of the parishad and the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project Action Committee for talks, which were to be chaired by chief secretary Bijoy Patnaik.
However, the parishad members said they would not take part in the tripartite talks, but were willing to talk to the government alone.
Parishad secretary Satya Banchhor told The Telegraph that the outfit had decided not to take part in tomorrow’s talks as it would lead to nowhere. “Over the past five years, we have been demanding that the government hold talks with us on displacement issues. But the government didn’t do it. Now, it has asked us to take part in talks where members of the pro-dam action committee will also participate. We did not accept the proposal. But we are ready to hold direct talks with the government.”
Stating that the organisation had nominated 11 of its members for the purpose, he said: “We have intimated the Balangir collector about our concerns and our unwillingness to take part in the tripartite talks,” he said.
Banchhor said the parishad was in favour of the dam if there was no displacement.
“We are not opposed to the dam. But let them construct it without displacing anyone. We want smaller traditional water harvesting structures to be made to address the irrigation problems of the farmers. The government never delivers when it comes to rehabilitation and compensation to displaced villagers. The Rengali project and Hirakud dam projects in Sambalpur district are examples of this. We don’t need the dam,” he said.
The pro-project Lower Suktel Irrigation Project Action Committee has constituted a six-member team for tomorrow’s talks. “A six-member delegation, led by president of the action committee, Gopaljee Panigrahi, will leave for Bhubaneswar for the discussion,” said Santosh Pradhan, secretary of the committee.