Bhubaneswar, Oct. 8 -- Amid pending demands of displaced and project-affected families, Sambalpur MP and former union minister Dharmendra Pradhan called for faster rehabilitation and stressed that the rights and interests of affected and landless people must be protected.

Pradhan made the remarks while chairing a series of Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meetings on Wednesday in Angul to review the rehabilitation process and grievances of families affected by major mining and industrial projects.

Separate meetings were held on KPCL's Mandakini-A coal mine, GMDC's Baitarani West, NALCO's Utkal-E and NALCO's brownfield expansion projects. The meetings reviewed pending demands of displaced and affected fa...