सव भव तु सिखनः ु 5.) Challenges in Hirakud Dam Project Rehabilita on in Odisha. (Case No: 1846/18/13/2017) The Commission received a complaint on 06 March 2017, regarding the rehabilita on of 26,561 families displaced due to the construc on of the Hirakud Dam Project in Odisha. These families had not received the appropriate compensa on, and the complaint revealed the hardships faced by the displaced vic ms. The Commission took cognizance of the complaint and requested reports from the relevant authori es. Following the Commission's direc ve, the Under Secretary of the Water Resources Department, Government of Chha sgarh, submi ed a compliance report detailing the work carried out in the four affected districts: Sarguja, Raigad, Jashpur, and Surajpur. This report included informa on about the availability of banking services, mobile towers, drinking water facili es, and road infrastructure in the affected areas. In response to further direc ves from the Commission, the Addi onal Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Odisha, submi ed a comprehensive reply addressing various aspects, including the alloca on of homestead land to claimants, the challenge of relinquishing acquired land, ex-gra a compensa on payments, DC Pa a holders, demarca on requests, and steps taken to prevent pollu on of the reservoir water. The Commission reviewed the reports from the governments of Chha sgarh and Odisha and noted that substan al construc on work had been carried out in the affected districts, covering various aspects, such as roads, mobile towers, banking services, and drinking water facili es. It was also observed that the Government of Odisha had taken steps for the welfare and rese lement of displaced families. However, the Water Resources Department did not provide a reply regarding the polluon of the reservoir water and the survey of unsurveyed villages. Therefore, the Commission requested an ac on taken report from the authori es on efforts to protect the reservoir water from industrial effluent discharge and an updated report on the survey and se lement process of unsurveyed villages. Chapter 7 - Thematic Areas A er receiving the compliance report dated 2 June 2022, the complainant was provided with a copy and invited to submit comments within four weeks. Subsequently, the complainant responded, reques ng the appointment of a Special Rapporteur due to perceived inadequacies in the earlier report. In response, the Commission forwarded the complainant's comments to the Principal Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Odisha, with instruc ons to take appropriate ac ons within the legal framework. The complainant was advised to seek legal recourse if their grievances were not resolved by the relevant authori es. Subsequently, the case was closed. 7.9 Right to Food and Nutri on 7.9.1 The NHRC is commi ed in its crusade to protect the right to nutri ous food for ci zens of India. Its Core Advisory Group on the Right to Food and Nutri on addresses issues, challenges and solu ons in this field a er analysing the steps taken by the government. Moreover, the Commission keenly observes the legisla on related to food security and the eradica on of hunger. NHRC has been emphasizing proper implementa on of the Na onal Food Security Act, 2013 and the flagship schemes, namely, PDS, ICDS and MDMS. It gets the picture of the ground reality through its Special Rapporteurs and Special Monitors, who undertake field visits and provide feedback on the status of implementa on of these schemes as well as the food security legisla on in the States. 7.9.2 Illustra ve Case 1.) Disrup on of Mid-day Meal Scheme During COVID19 Pandemic in Bihar (Case No: 1708/4/5/2020-CL) The Commission took suo-motu cognizance of a news report published in The Indian Express on 06 June 2020, under the cap on “School shut, no mid-day meal, children in Bihar village back to work selling scrap”. The Commission sought responses from the Secretary of the Department of School Educa on and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, 59