§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he took before deciding to fund the upgrading of the Hirakud hydro-electric dam at Orissa in India formally to appraise and meet the needs of the families displaced by the original dam.
§ Mr. GoodladThe appraisal mission took account of the arrangements made for resettlement of people displaced by the original dam in the late 1940s and early 1950s, which are well documented. The upgrading project will not have any significant social impact for these resettled groups or any other groups, and no appropriate action was identifed in respect of the people affected by the original scheme. ODA considers that the needs of this group are best addressed through projects targeting poor and tribal people in Orissa more generally, such as the Orissa health and family welfare project which we are financing.