Phulbani: Amidst tight security, a
11-member EU diplomat delegation on Thursday began its Kandhamal
visit, about 25 months after the large scale ethno-communal
violence in the district.
Diplomats belonging to nine European countries of Spain,
Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom,
Finland and Sweden along with two senior officials of the EU's
India office, reached Nandagiri rehabilitation camp, about 55
km from here.
The EU diplomats who were earlier denied permission twice
to visit the communally-fragile Kandhamal, finally met the
riot affected people.
The delegation had, however, met some of the victims
earlier in Bhubaneswar.
Nandagiri, the place where at least 52 riot affected
families were rehabilitated after violence, was the first
choice of the delegation, an official said adding that people
from Batikela were provided land and funds to set up their
house at the camp.
Since the affected families refused to return to their
village at Batikela under G Udaygiri police station area after
riot, the state government provided them land to set up their
houses at Nandagiri, said Kandhamal collector Krishna Kumar.
While the diplomats had smooth interaction with the
people at Nandagiri resettlement camp, the entire area was
kept under security cover.
"Everything is going on smoothly," Kandhamal SP Praveen
Kumar told a news agency.
The security in Kandhamal was beefed during the visit of
the EU delegation in view of the opposition from Sangh Parivar
activists.
"We have ensured that no outsider could reach close to
the visiting diplomats," the SP said.
The diplomats spent about half-an-hour with the people at
the resettlement camp.
The team was also scheduled to visit Hatpada, Nilangia, K
Nuagaon areas during the first day's visit, they said.
The delegation was also scheduled to visit NGO Jan Vikash
and Divya Jyoti Pastoral Centre at K Nuagaon area this
afternoon.
A 29-year-old catholic nun was allegedly raped at K
Nuagaon under Baliguda police station area during a statewide
bandh on August 25, 2008, after she along with a priest was
dragged out of Divya Jyoti Pastoral Centre, two days after the
killing of the VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati.
After spending night at Phulbani circuit house, the
delegation was also scheduled to meet district
magistrate-cum-collector and visit the first track court
tomorrow morning.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 04, 2010, 15:53