Congress demands rehabilitation of tribal families displaced for Rairangpur airstrip

Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Wednesday demanded adequate compensation and rehabilitation support for 43 tribal families, who were allegedly evicted, for the development of an airstrip at Rairangpur in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam alleged that the work for developing the airstrip has been carried out "without holding any gram sabha meeting or consent of the tribal families, who were residing there for decades".

"Forty-three tribal families have been evicted for the construction of the Rairangpur airstrip. The government has also filed a case against the displaced families," he claimed.

The Congress leader asserted that his party is not against the developmental work, but the affected tribal families should have been "adequately compensated and properly rehabilitated before their displacement".

“If the tribals have faced such administrative action in the home district of President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Minister Mohan Chran Majhi’s in-laws, one can imagine what would happen to the indigenous people in other places of Odisha,” Kadam said.

He demanded that the government immediately rehabilitate the "evicted" tribal families and provide them compensation of Rs 40 lakh for damage to their houses.

"If the government does not accept the demands, the Congress will fight for the tribal families inside and outside the state assembly," he said.