Kandhamal situation has improved, Centre tells SC

The situation in Orissa's Kandhamal district, which was hit by communal riots 3 years ago, has vastly changed and central forces have been withdrawn from there, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday. "The situation has vastly changed," Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the apex court which is monitoring the situation in the district ever since it was affected by the riots following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2007.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for Orissa government, said the authorities have complied with the orders of the apex court relating to relief and rehabilitation and compensation to the victims of the riots and the paramilitary forces have left the place. He said two fast track courts were set up to hold the trial of the riot related cases and recently a sitting MLA was convicted by one such court.

The senior advocate said the religious buildings damaged during the riots have been repaired and compensation has been awarded to the affected persons. However, when some of the counsel complained that only two instalments of compensation has been granted and the third was yet to be given, a Bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said it will hear the issues on the next date of hearing.

"We are not disposing of the petitions and we are keeping them alive," the Bench, also comprising of Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, said. The apex court has been monitoring the situation in Kandhamal district on a petition filed by the Archbishop of Cuttack, Raphael Cheenath, relating to violence there and in other areas of the state where communal clashes had erupted after the killing of Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2007.