Entrance of the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Estate at Jajpur. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Jajpur, Sept. 17: Hundreds of people of Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex, who lost their land and received compensation in the nineties, have started demanding for a fresh package.

This package, they reckon, should be on par with the compensation package received by people who lost their land to the proposed Tata steel plant in Kalinga Nagar and Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur.

“Why we will get five times less compensation for the same status of land in the same area being acquired for the industry as compared to the land price of Tata steel in Kalinga Nagar industrial complex area. Hence we are demanding Rs 5 lakh per acre as Tata Steel has paid the same for its six million tonne proposed steel project in the area,” said Narottam Patra.

Narottam, a resident of Hudisahi village, had spared seven acres of land to the Jindal Stainless Limited in Kalinga Nagar and received Rs 7 lakh in three phases as aid.

“We also demand a rehabilitation and resettlement package which is on par with people who lost their land for the Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district,” he said.

Many farmers in the industrial complex area have spared over 5,000 acres of arable land for the emerging steel hub where a dozen steel plants are being set up.

The landless farmers of the area have formed a community called Kalinga Nagar Jamihara Chasi Surakhya Sangh to highlight their issue.

This committee has been sitting on a dharna in the industrial complex area.

“We should be treated on par with the land losers for the Posco steel plant and the Tata steel plant where jobs are being provided to the people who lost their land,” said the general secretary of Kalinga Nagar Jamihara Chasi Suraskhya Sangh Dusmanta Ghadei. “We have nothing to do. It’s the responsibility of the steel companies to resolve the issue,” said Ranjit Keshari Mohanty, additional district magistrate of Kalinga Nagar.