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Article

21 Nov 2021

Author:
Satyasundar Barik, The Hindu

India: Massive steel project proposal opposed by villagers, one-time compensation offered by company not enough

"Villagers oppose Odisha’s largest green field steel project proposal", 21 November 2021

Hundreds of villagers...opposed setting up of integrated steel project proposed by JSW Utkal Steel Limited led by industrialist Sajjan Jindal near port town of Paradip in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.

[...]

The project had to be shelved following stiff resistance to land acquisition in 2017. Now, fresh attempts are being made to set it up at the same place.

A 900-MW captive power plant and a 10-MPTA cement grinding and mixing unit are also proposed to be set up near the villages of Dhinkia, Govindpur, Nuagaon, Bayanala Kanda, Polanga and Jatadhar under Ersama Tahsil in Jagatsinghpur district.

[...]

Villagers are staging protests at the public hearings held for garnering support for the project.

Despite lack of consensus, the JSW announced that construction of boundary wall would commence...

To woo people, the JSW came up with revised compensation for betel vines, prawn cultivators and fruit trees.

Mr. Swain said villagers were resolute in their stand that they would not take any compensation. “When betel vine farmers are earning much more than being offered, why would they opt for one time compensation? The land parcel being acquired is the lifeline of villagers. They are not in a mood to part with their land,”...