Map of Orissa showing location of Fertilizer C...

Map of Orissa showing location of Fertilizer Corporation of India Township (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Express News Service – CUTTACK

Published: 29th November 2013 10:20 AM

In a significant move, the Orissa High Court on Thursday took cognisance of a letter petition sent by a law student on human rights violations of people displaced due to Hirakud dam project and directed the State Government to file its response.

 A division bench of Chief Justice A K Goel and Justice A K Rath treated the letter petition of Samir Kumar Nayak, LL.M. student of Human Rights at University College of Law Bhubaneswar, as a PIL and issued notice to the State Government.

Nayak has drawn attention of the court to the plight of the people displaced due to the construction of the dam for the past 60 years. He stated that on October 22 this year, the Sambalpur district administration, through Land Acquisition Officer, Hirakud, has published a notice in  the newspaper for providing compensation to the displaced persons.

The notification is highly derogatory in the civilized world where meager amount of `100 or like has been offered as compensation to families, who were displaced 60 years ago. The petitioner has also alleged that such action of the State amounts to violation of human rights and appealed to the court to pass necessary direction in this regard.

PIL against Idol Immersion

In another letter petition, which has been treated as a PIL, petitioner N K Panda, president of Citizens’ Apex Association, Bhubaneswar, has sought banning of immersion of idols in the Kuakhai river near Bhubaneswar.

According to Panda, idol immersion has caused pollution in the river, which is major source of water supply to the Capital. Indicating other circumstances, he has appealed to the court to ban such activities in the best interest of the people. The bench has issued notice to Government in this regard.

 

 

 

 

 

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