A tripartite meeting convened by the East Singhbhum administration at the district collectorate to resolve land issues plaguing those displaced by the Dimna reservoir failed to make much headway on Wednesday.

During the hour-long deliberations, chaired by sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Dhalbhum Subodh Prasad, Tata Steel officials refused to agree to the demand for compensation raised by villagers of Lailam and Bota panchayats in Bodam block in lieu of land submerged by the reservoir (when at its highest level).

The meeting was also attended by Jharkhand Mukti Vahini, which has been spearheading the cause of some 7,000 affected villagers of the two panchayats.

Prasad later said that the circle officer of Bodam had been asked to conduct a fresh survey of 3.84 acres falling under the catchment area of the dam to find out if the land was flooded when the water rose to the highest level.

“The survey will determine if the acres are submerged often or only on some occasions (read monsoon). Tata Steel officials have agreed to acquire the land if the survey finds that the area is flooded often and will also pay requisite compensation to affected villagers,” the SDO said.

He, however, pointed out that the steel giant — represented by chief administrator M.G. Singh and land officer Ajay Sahay — had denied charges of villagers that it had already used 102 acres for building the dam. “They (Tata Steel officials) gave us in writing that they are not using these acres and hence, will not pay any compensation in this regard,” the SDO added.

On the positive side and as part of its corporate social responsibility, the company has agreed to increase the frequency of its mobile dispensary visit to the villages. It has given its no-objection to the reservoir being used by villagers.