Balangir: The much-hyped Lower Suktel Irrigation Project has once again run into trouble after affected villagers stormed the site and stopped work for nearly two days.

Residents of Koindapali village, which has been affected by work on the dam, temporarily stopped work and demanded complete payment of compensation. Hundreds of villagers, including women and children, thronged the dam site on Tuesday and stopped workers from reaching the site.

The special land acquisition officer of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project Rabindra Sahu rushed to the site with a police force after being informed and held a discussion with the agitating villagers. They withdrew from the site on Wednesday after Sahu assured them that the government was serious about providing compensation according to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

Sources said when the spillway work of the project began in 2013, the administration had told the villagers that total compensation would be paid before the start of work. But after five years and after completion of 60 per cent work on the spillway and 30 per cent earth work, the villagers are yet to get their compensation.

Prashant Bagarty, a Koindapali villager alleged that the district administration was not concerned about their demands. "Though much of the work has already been completed, the administration has not been able to pay the compensation amount. The Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee meeting for the project is scheduled for Saturday. We hope that the issue would be discussed at length in the meeting," he said.

Bagarty, however, claimed that the decisions taken in these meetings are never reflected in the implementation.

"The decisions taken in these meetings are never carried out in the right spirit and the villagers are cheated, as always," he said.

Sahu said: "The government had decided to compensate the affected villagers according to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The villagers will get their compensation amount shortly."

The Rs 1,041-crore project hung fire for at least 12 years because of a stand-off between the pro and anti-dam activists. The project finally started in April 2013 with heavy police deployment in the area. When completed, it will be able to irrigate an estimated 29,146 hectares in Balangir and 2,684 hectares in Sonepur, covering 189 villages.