Villagers demand allowance from Jindal Stainless

JINDALS' ORISSA PROBLEMS

Hundreds of residents, including displaced families of Bainsipur, Hudisahi and Gadhapur villages surrounding the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex in Orissa's Jajpur district, on September 12, besieged the entrance of Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL), the integrated stainless steel unit coming up there, demanding monthly maintenance allowance from the company.

Villagers of Bainsipur, Hudisahi and Gadhapur had on September 5 locked all gates of Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL), demanding jobs in the plant.

Villagers claimed they were displaced by the JSL project and the company was not giving them jobs in the plant under the resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) policy of the state and the subsequent agreement between the displaced families and JSL.

The agitated villagers tried to prevent the entry of some officials and workers of the plant for about two hours in the morning.

They were overpowered by the company security personnel and local police.

"We have been repeatedly assured by the district administration about being absorbed in JSL but now the administration is paying no heed to our pleas. We have been displaced, lost our lands and livelihood. Our land has been given to the company at higher prices by the district administration. Now neither the district administration nor JSL is paying attention to our problems. We have to resort to agitation now to resolve this issue," said Lalmohan Munda, leader of the agitating villagers.

"Today's agitation relates to the issues pending with the district administration. The agitators had a meeting with the Kalinga Nagar additional district magistrate. The district administration will sort out their grievances," said D M Burma, general manager (human resources) of Jindal Stainless.

Kalinga Nagar Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Bira Kishore Panda, said, "Nine displaced families are yet to be absorbed in the JSL project. They were declared as left out by the district administration as they had not presented their papers before the administration during the scrutiny of land records earlier".

Villagers had blocked all gates of JSL demanding jobs on September 5 too. Villagers withdrew their agitation after Panda's assurance that a meeting would be held on September 11 to sort out their grievances.

A meeting in Panda's chamber at Jajpur Road on September 12 established that the villagers' grievances are legitimate and a decision to this effect was taken by the last RPDCA meeting. The proceeding of the meeting was yet to be notified but once notified, the villagers would be absorbed in the JSL plant, said Panda.

The Jindal Contractual Workers' Union president, Bidyadhar Mohanty demanded immediate jobs to the left out displaced families and permanent placement of contractual workers in the company payroll.