Orissa govt initiates talks with Posco affected

The Jagatsinghpur district administration today held the first round of discussions with the affected villagers of the Posco project and the officials of the South Korean steel major on land acquisition and socio economic survey in the project site.

Although the villagers of Dhinkia, the epicenter of the anti-Posco movement, were absent from the meeting, more than 80 representatives of Nuagaon, Gobindpur, Gadakujang, Nilia Sahi participated in the discussions.

Sources said, the families to be displaced by the Posco project have formed a working committee comprising village leaders and representatives to streamline activities leading to the establishment of the plant. These committee representatives interacted with Posco officials and the district administration at Erasama Block. They sought to clarify their doubts on special relief package and compensation to affected people, special economic zones, pollution control measures, impact of Posco port, R&R policy as also the land acquisition policy.

As per the R&R policy, Rs 1.50 lakh will be given to each of the affected families for building houses, displaced families will be accommodated in a rehabilitation colony with road, drinking water and electricity facilities and farmers cultivating betel vine will be given compensation, Surjeet Das, district rehabilitation officer, said.

The villagers also demanded that each family should be given employment opportunities in the project.

They also apprehended that as 90% of villagers were living on encroached forest and government land on the project site, they may be denied compensation for land acquisition. Posco officials said that no decision had yet been taken payment of compensation to beneficiaries who have encroached forest land.

Posco officials also requested villagers to present specific demands to negotiate on those issues. Villagers agreed to present their demands after consultation with their fellow men at a later date. The district administration has decided to conduct the next round of discussion with villagers next week. Meanwhile, villagers of Nuagaon, Gadakujang, Noliasahi, Gobindpur have formed an all party committee to bring peace to the project site.