Click to play videoBalasore (Orissa): Positive development is resulting in harassment for poor villagers of Balasore district in Orissa. What is being celebrated is the successful test firing of a missile interceptor from Orissa on Thursday. But here's the other side of the story, the story of thousands of villagers displaced.
India's new interceptor missile being test-fired from the Chandipur Integrated Test Range in Orissa, the indigenously developed missile hit its target at an altitude of 15 kilometers from the launch surface. But it also had an impact on the ground.
More than 5000 villagers living near the defense campus bundled into shelter camps built by the district administration. Authorities say it's for their own safety, but the villagers say they have had enough of being turned out of their homes every time a missile is tested.
A displaced villager, Manjulata Jena,says, "How long will this continue. We cannot take it any more. Give us a permanent place to live or else we will not move next time."
The villagers are paid for their troubles — Rs 155 for every adult and Rs 85 for a child. And authorities say the compensation will go up.
Collector, Alekh Chandra Parihari, at Balasore says, “In order to satisfy them and to reduce their discontent we are planning to increase the compensation amount."
But the residents want more than just money. They say they are even ready to leave their villages in the interests of the country. All they want is proper rehabilitation.
(With inputs from priyanka gupta)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
