A day after initiating land acquisition process for Posco-India’s mega steel plant project near Paradip, the Orissa government on Wednesday said 470 families could face displacement due to the mega plant.
“The Rehabilitation and Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) had already finalised a compensation package for the affected families,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suryanarayan Patra informed the State Assembly.
The steel major required 4,004 acres for the Rs. 51,000 crore project near Paradip which failed to take off for five years due to opposition by the local people.
Besides displacement of 470 families, the South Korean steel major’s project required to demolish 1,877 betel vines and 31 prawn ponds located in the three gram panchayat areas of Dhinkia, Gada Kujang and Nuagaon, the minister said.
A compensation of Rs. 17 lakh per acre of agricultural land was agreed to be given to betel vine growers, who would also be provided with unemployment allowance of Rs. 2,250 per month in the event the company fails to provide them with employment, he added.
The RPDAC also decided to give Rs. 2 lakh per acre of prawn pond and each displaced family would be provided with a three-roomed house in rehabilitation colony. The people losing their horticultural trees would also be compensated as per law, the minister said.
“The displaced families will be provided with all facilities according to the state’s rehabilitation and resettlement policy, 2006,” Mr. Patra said.
Though the State government along with Posco-India announced the rehabilitation package, the local people, mostly farmers and fishermen, rejected it.
Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) had burnt down copies of the package, while members of United Action Committee (UAC), the group supporting the project, demanded enhancement of benefits.
“As the people of the area are earning a lucrative amount by undertaking betel cultivation and prawn farming, no amount of compensation could match their loss. Therefore, we are opposed to the project,” said PPSS president Abhay Sahu.
