Paradip, Oct. 3: Burying past hostilities, betel vine growers and labourers from Dhinkia are now lending a helping hand to their counterparts in neighbouring Nuagaon and Gadakujang areas.

The labourers, who turned jobless following the dismantling of vineyards last year, are now finding work at the betel vineyards in Dhinkia.

As the land acquisition exercise for the proposed Posco steel plant could not be carried out in many areas of Gobindapur, Patana and Dhinkia following local people’s resistance, many betel vines here have still remained still intact.

“We did not support the steel project. However, villagers in many other areas supported the project. Their betel vineyards were pulled down. Since then the betel vine labourers of those areas had been sitting idle. We have now engaged them in our vineyards,” said Arakhita Behera, a Dhinkia villager.

“Betel vine cultivation is still a major source livelihood at Dhinkia. Through their resilient struggle against land acquisition, local people have managed to save their betel vineyards. People of other villages, whose betel vines were pulled down to pave way for the project, asked for the help of betel growers at Dhinkia. While the Odisha government has not done anything for the project-affected villagers, the people of Dhinkia have come forward to help them,” said Sisir Kumar Mahapatra, former sarpanch of Dhinkia gram panchayat.

Jobless villagers of Gadakujang and Nuagaon have now got themselves engaged at betel vineyards in Dhinkia.

The villages affected by the steel project have lost more than 700 betel vineyards to land acquisition exercise last year, while Dhinkia still has a rich reserve of over 600 betel vineyards.

“The betel vine labourers have been among the worst hit by the land acquisition drive for the Posco steel plant. To make things worse, the affected villagers are yet to receive any compensation and the subsistence allowance of Rs 2,250, which was proposed by the government. While the Odisha government has done nothing for the project-afflicted villagers, the people of Dhinkia have come to their rescue,” said Vasudev Behera, a former member of Gadakujang Panchayat Samity.

“We waited in vain for compensation from the government. We struggled to make ends meet after our betel vineyards were demolished at Nolia Sahi. Then we approached some betel vine cultivators at Dhinkia requesting them to give us jobs. They consented unhesitatingly. Now, I am now employed for four days a week and I am satisfied. I am also thankful to the betel vine growers of Dhinkia,” said Bhagirathi Sahu, a landless betel vine labourer from Nolia Sahi.

“The Odisha government is keen on making up the loss of livelihood of the betel vines labourers at the earliest. The labourers who were working in betel vineyards and have been affected by land acquisition project have been identified. They would be covered under rehabilitation and resettlement package,” said Surajit Das, additional district magistrate of Paradip.