Satkosia tiger project: Displaced villagers allege lack of transparency and govt apathy

Any displacement and resettlement caused by a project always bring a lot of pain for people. Leaving one’s own land doesn’t seem easy. A case in point is the Odisha government’s project to revive Satkosia tiger habitat which calls for relocation of at least three villages from the core area of the reserve.

The villagers in question have also welcomed the project to revive the Satkosia tiger habitat and are ready to leave their village. However, the alleged apathy of the State government and the officials concerned have pushed around 20 families into a state of uncertainty.

As per the allegations, at least 20 families have not received the displacement package or the compensation amount from the government. 

Mamata Pradhan, a Katrang villager, said her family moved out of the village as there was no school in the region and also they had no source of income. But, they have the Aadhaar card, land patta and other documents which establish the fact that they are the residents of Katrang. However, they have been excluded from the displacement package.

Another villager, Prasanna Nayak also raised the same issue, saying, “There is no road or medical facility in Katrang. We also have to face problems when it comes to the education of our children.”

The villagers further alleged that the forest department prepared the list of beneficiaries in haste without even taking into account the government data about the actual residents of the region. 

“The entire paper works for the displacement of the villagers have not been done in a transparent manner by the government officials,” alleged environmentalist, Prasanna Behera.

Meanwhile, Satkosia DFO Saroj Panda said they are aware of the matter and the local collector has been apprised about the same. “I have informed the collector and he has assured that those who will be found eligible will be included into the list of the beneficiaries,” said Panda.