Bhubaneswar, Jan. 19: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the state government to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) on the people displaced due to the Vedanta Refinery project at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.

Chairperson of the commission Justice K.G. Balkrishnan told newspersons: “The commission has made a strong note of the land acquisition policy of Orissa and we have directed the government to rehabilitate all the affected persons.”

Justice Balkrishnan said that the commission had received specific allegations about Vedanta’s refinery plant.

“We are told that the mining activities in the Niyamgiri area would have adverse effect on the environment. Since the mining activities have been stopped, we are keeping a watch on it. On the refinery plant, we have asked the state government to submit a report which will be examined by the commission. If the commission is not satisfied with the report, we will ask our rapporteur to visit the place and submit a report,” he added.

The Vedanta project was in the midst of controversy after the Union ministry of forests and environment (MOEF) had rejected the Vedanta’s expansion plan of its refinery project from one million-tonne to six million tonne.

It had also made it clear that the Niyamgiri hills would not be mined. The matter is now pending in the Supreme Court.

Acknowledging that the state is marking strides in the path of industrialisation, the commission said a number of human rights violation cases would also rise.

“We have asked the civil society activists to keep an eye on cases of human rights violation and bring them to our notice. Regarding Tata and Posco steel projects, the commission has also asked the state government to submit a detailed report on rehabilitation and compensation status of the displaced persons,” he said.

About Salandi Sanskar Project in Bhadrak district, the commission asked the state government to strictly adhere to the land acquisition policy and disburse compensation to the affected people.

Expressing its concern on the tardy progress of various welfare projects in the state, Justice Balkrishnan directed the state government to depute an officer of the rank of a secretary to appear before the commission on March 21 and state a detailed report on various welfare schemes including public distribution system, health and special security schemes in the KBK region.

During its two-day session, the commission took up 62 cases.