United Action Committee, hitherto known as a pro-Posco project outfit, has threatened to intensify stir and resort to road blockade from tomorrow if its demand for change in the survey method and higher compensation is not met by the administration.
In another development, two farmers in the project site area, who had received compensation for demolishing their betel vines to clear ground for land acquisition for the project, have returned their compensation cheque to the district administration on the advice of UAC.
The UAC members today held an emergency meeting at Gadakujang, a Posco project affected village and took the decision to intensify their.
They demanded that for calculation of compensation, the betel vines to be demolished on the government land should be measured from stay to stay in stead of fence to fence as being done through use of GPS (Global Positioning System) machine.
They said, the new method of measurement would result in monetary loss to the beneficiaries. Besides, they also demanded for inclusion of the betel vines, which were demolished by the villagers on the advice of the Posco officials during last two years, in the recently prepared survey list for compensation purposes.
Sources said, the 2008 survey report mentioned about the existence of 1961 betel vines covering an area of 394.39 acres in the project site. After that many farmers of Nuagaon and Gadkujang panchyat had demolished their betel vines after being coaxed by the Posco officials. The company had paid them a compensation of Rs 6,000 per decimal at that time.
These betel vines have not been included in the asset list of the recently concluded survey this year. In the meantime, the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) constituted for the project has increased the compensation for betel vines to Rs 11,500 per decimal.
Hence, the farmers, who had demolished their betel vines earlier, would lose a lot of money, pointed out UAC secretary, Nirvaya Samntray.
However, District Rehabilitation Officer, Surjeet Das said, 46 farmers had demolished their betel vines in 2008 out which 40 had received compensation from the company. He informed that the differential amount due to increase in the compensation rate will be given to these farmers after verification the company records. He, however, asserted that the betel vines which were demolished in 2008 have also been included in current survey.
Meanwhile, UAC secretary, Samantray said UAC is determined to intensify stir to fulfill its demand and called upon all beneficiaries who have received their betel vine compensation to return their cheques to the administration.
One farmer, Jeevanlal Behera alleged, officials forced his son to demolish betel vines after paying him compensation in his absence so he has returned his cheque protesting the method of measuring the betel vines.
On the other hand, District Rehabilitation Officer, Das said, the resurvey and payment of compensation, which was stopped on Sunday, will resume from tomorrow.
According to a late report received here, UAC has suffered a split with two groups sharply divided on cooperating with the administration for conduct of resurvey and the compensation package announced for the project.
