Indravati snatches every penny from a landlord in Nabarangpur

Nabarangpur, Feb 14: Indravati project has turned as a sorrow for Brajasundar who was once a noted landlord, familiar far and wide in the undivided Koraput district. But, Brajasundar is now a poverty-stricken daily wager. The Indravati project has snatched his every penny leaving him landless and miserable. This is struggle of life for Brajasudar Bisoi, a native of suburban village Phataguda under Tentulikhunti in district. Brajasudar’s father Dambarudhar Bisoi was a well-known   landlord in the locality. He had a large patch of farmland of 93 acres at village Mandigumma under Manchagaon gram panchayat. It was fetching granaries of grains and crops for Brajasudar’s whole family. Similarly, 80 acres farmland belonged to Brajasudar’s father at Ambaguda in Kusumpur gram panchayat and Dasamantapur block under Koraput district limit. This vast area was the economic backbone for the family, as it could fetch tons of cash crops like pulses, sugarcane, cotton and sorts of vegetables. On the other hand, scores of farm labours were working in his farms to earn livelihood for their families. Around 50 families were closely associated with Bisoi’s family for household works. However, Indravati Hydroelectric Project acquired about 100 acres of Brajasundar’s land in 1985 in lieu of compensation of Rs 1.41 lakh. Besides, the project displaced Brajasundar’s family from Koraput. This situation pushed the family into a financial turmoil. Brajasundar had to shift for Phataguda under Nabarangpur district. He built a new house and purchased 1.5 acres of paddy land with the compensation money. As of now, Brajasaundar can’t harvest much crops from the small piece of land. The little yield is even insufficient to feed his family throughout the year. That’s why his family is getting fed from the government rice supplied under food security Act. Moreover, during acute penury he could not educate his two sons though they were doing well. One is a rural folk singer and another is a security guard. Their low wages can’t supplement the family in this distress, grieves Brajasundar.