Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered fresh investigation by its special rapporteur into the large-scale displacement and subsequent failure of the government in rehabilitation and resettlement of more than twenty six thousand families due to construction of Hirakud dam seven decades ago.

The NHRC directed the special rapporteur, eastern zone, to verify the version of state authorities at ground level and submit an inquiry report on the same within eight weeks, latest by July 26.

Hirakud dam, built across the Mahanadi in Sambalpur district, is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after the country's Independence. The mega dam has played an effective role in controlling floods in the Mahanadi delta. Besides, the water reservoir has emerged as a major source of irrigation in the districts of west Odisha. The dam helps production of hydroelectricity through hydroelectric projects.

Land acquisition for the mega project had begun on 1952-53 by the then Hirakud Land Organisation formed by the state government. Almost seven decades after the commissioning of the project, rehabilitation and resettlement issues pertaining to people displaced by Hirakud dam continues to remain unresolved.

Some of the displaced persons have allegedly been paid half of the compensation amount assured while some have not been paid any compensation at all. Some 26,561 families of 369 villages were not properly rehabilitated and resettled, according to a petition moved by rights activist Radhakant Tripathy.

Earlier in a compliance report to the NHRC, the state government had maintained that steps were taken from time to time to mitigate the grievances of the displaced families hailing from four districts - Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sonepur. The report maintained that the process of payment of ex-gratia compensation, and distribution of homestead land, agriculture land, and land records of rights to the displaced people has duly been completed along with provisions for basic amenities. No case of rehabilitation is pending, the government report claimed.

However, the petition differed from the state government's claim and sought the NHRC's prompt intervention for early end to the seven-decade-long plight of the displaced people.