Odisha villagers demand resettlement away from jungle, deny forest dept's plan

The Forest Department would shift the Asanabahali village presently located within the Tiger Project to another place. For this, the department has already finalized the blueprint. More than two hundred people comprising thirty families reside in the village that falls within a dense forest area about six km from Tarabha on the Tikarpada road.

Angul: The Forest Department of the Odisha Government and Asanabahali villagers have reached a state of tug-of-war regarding the resettlement of the people for the Satkosia Tiger Conservation Project in Angul district. The plans to shift the villagers located within the project area to another location has now reached the last phase but the people refuse to budge from their stand.

Earlier, the villagers had themselves pleaded before the Forest Department to shift them to another location as they were experiencing extreme difficulty to live within the dense forest area. But the dispute has now surfaced as the forest department is trying to resettle them near a forest area again.

The Forest Department would shift the Asanabahali village presently located within the Tiger Project to another place. For this, the department has already finalized the blueprint. More than two hundred people comprising thirty families reside in this village that falls within a dense forest area about six km from Tarabha on the Tikarpada road.

The village is surrounded by hills and forests on all its four sides. The area is the grazing ground for the wild animals. Neither there is electric light in the village nor there is any facility of drinking water facility in the village. Employment wise, the people find some engagement if some work is provided by the forest department, otherwise, they sit idle.

Whatever agricultural operation they undertake, it is a herculean task to harvest them in the face of an onslaught by the wild animals. While the villagers are passing through such a miserable life, there is none to take care of their needs. Because of their difficulties, the forest department had taken a decision and started the process to resettle them in another place, but its plan for the resettlement of the villagers has stopped midway.

An area of twenty acres at Rodasingha has been identified by the forest department to resettle the people of this village. Although the number of original families of the village is 30, the department has taken a decision to provide compensation taking each person over the age of 18 as a separate family.

A decision has also been taken to provide Rupees ten lakh in cash, house under the Awas Programme, electricity, drinking water, playground, concrete house and other facilities to these families. But the place Roadasingha is also located adjacent to a dense forest. The daily markets are at a far and the people would have to walk a long way within the forest in order to find some employment.

Besides as the people of nearby villages of Rodasingha are opposing their resettlement in the area, there is every apprehension of a confrontation with them in future.

Keeping all these matters in view the villagers of Asanabahali are reluctant to move to Rodasingha, the place identified by the forest department for their resettlement. Their point is that they had approached the authorities to shift them to another place in view of the difficulties being experienced by them in the forest, but the department is again trying to push them to another forest area.

Unless provided a suitable location they would not move out, the villagers have conveyed.

On the other hand, if this village is shifted to another place, it would be immensely beneficial for the Tiger project and for the villagers who are deprived of the benevolent programmes of the government.