Ratha, Keshab Chandra

Displacement without rehabilitation: Insights from upper Indravati project, Odisha - Economic & Political Weekly - 61(11), Mar 14, 2026: p.14-17

Displacement disproportionately affects indigenous communities, with state claims of “public purpose” failing to provide adequate and unconditional resettlement. This leaves affected groups vulnerable, resulting in loss of livelihoods, cultural dislocation, and inadequate access to services, mainly impacting tribals due to insufficient compensation. The lack of enforceable legal guarantees turns rehabilitation into an act of state benevolence instead of an obligation, undermining social justice. A paradigm shift in development planning is called for to incorporate rights-based approaches.-Reproduced

https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/11/commentary/displacement-without-rehabilitation.html