People affected by the JSPL resorted to economic blockade at the plant site at Nisha on Monday protesting delay in convening the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting for the last six months.
From early Monday morning, hundreds of slogan-shouting locals put up blockades at three points blocking all sorts of vehicular movement to and from the JSPL plant. Construction work inside the plant premises was, however, not affected.
The agitators under the banner of Birankswar Silpanchal Praja Sangh have been demanding compensation to the tune of Rs 50 lakh per acre of ceded land and a permanent job to each of the land loser families.
JSPL is setting up a six million tonne (MT) integrated steel plant here and aims to increase the production to 12 MT in future. They accused the State Government of cheating them by not calling the RPDAC in the last six months.
As per the State Government’s rehabilitation policy of 2006, the RPDAC is the apex body to finalise the rehabilitation and resettlement issues of the land losers and those affected by industries. However, the meeting is not organised here regularly owing to administrative apathy.
In February, the district administration had assured the locals of calling RPDAC meeting when they had resorted to large-scale agitation.
Company’s Executive Director D K Saraogi said: “JSPL will fulfil all the legitimate demands of the people as per the State Government’s Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy.” Meanwhile, the RDC (central) Aravind Padhee took stock of the situation. He has reportedly directed District Collector Sib Prasad Mishra to convene the RPDAC at the earliest to sort out the issues.
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