File picture of Posco transit camp in Jagatsinghpur

Paradip, May 15: Keeping in mind the May 18 deadline for resumption of land acquisition for Posco’s greenfield steel project, Jagatsinghpur district administration has initiated a process to broker out a settlement with the pro-plant outfit over the issue of rehabilitation and compensation package.

“We are doing the necessary groundwork for smooth progress of the land acquisition process in the project areas. Things have emerged positive. Everything would be alright before the commencement of land acquisition,” said Narayan Chandra Jena, Jagatsinghpur collector.

“Tomorrow, we will hold talks with the United Action Committee (UAC) members. We are optimistic that differences of opinion on compensation package and measurement of betel vines will be amicably settled,” Ersama’s block development officer Muralidhar Swain told The Telegraph.

The administration has successfully managed to galvanise public support for the project. A couple of days ago, opponents of the project from the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) and the Bhitamati Surakhya Mancha have joined hands with the administration pledging not to resist the land acquisition, said the BDO.

United Action Committee members met at Gadakujang today to discuss the rehabilitation and resettlement issue that the committee is going to take up tomorrow with the district administration. “We are still sticking to our 29-point charter of demands. Unless the state government agrees to meet our demands, we will prefer to boycott the land acquisition drive,” said UAC secretary Nirvaya Samantaray.

“UAC has some grievances with regard to the measurement of betel vines, employment generation, compensation package for homestead land and betel vines, and compensation for workers engaged in betel vines, agriculture fields and prawn dykes. Some of the grievances are appearing genuine. Something tangible would come out of tomorrow’s discussion,” said collector Jena, hoping that the UAC would cooperate with the administration’s land acquisition drive to expedite the setting up of the much-delayed steel project.

“We are in favour of the project. But that should not be at the cost of larger interest of displaced people. Both Posco and the state government would have to judiciously look at the humanitarian angles of the whole issue,” added UAC secretary Samantaray.