Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a comprehensive compliance report from the state's chief secretary on the alleged denial of basic rights to people displaced by Indravati Hydro Electric Power Project in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Koraput districts.

Expressing displeasure over the tardy pace of progress of the rehabilitation measures for the project-affected people, the national human rights panel asked the state's chief secretary to furnish report within eight weeks.

The NHRC passed the order on petitions moved by rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy.

The petition had alleged that thousands of displaced families in hundreds of villages in the districts are leading a life of misery bereft of basic amenities and bare necessities.

The Odisha chief secretary was asked to submit an action-taken report on the report of the special rapporteur of the commission, especially on issues raised by him and the recommendations made, within eight weeks.

Earlier, the NHRC had deputed the special rapporteur, Damodar Sadangi, to make an on-the-spot assessment of the ground-level situation in the project-affected villages.

Covering Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts, the special rapporteurhad recommended compensation for lose of land, rehabilitation to the left-out cases, maintenance of livelihood to them through various means and ensuring child care, primary health care and education for the displaced people.

The report furnished by Sadangi had found the poor standard of living of the people in the areas affected by the project and had called for implementation of remedial measures by the state government. However, the state government had done precious little to ameliorate the plight of displaced people in five districts of Odisha, the petition maintained.