Paradip, July 20: The Odisha government has decided to convene a meeting of the Rehabilitation Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) shortly to settle the rehabilitation and compensation issues relating to the Posco project.

The work for the big-ticket steel project had come to a grinding halt ever since violence erupted on December 14, killing one person and leaving several persons injured. Although a section of land losers continue to insist on relocation of the project, pro-Posco villagers have been demanding a handsome compensation package.

“The state government has received positive feedback from the villages on the project site. There has been a perceptive change in attitude towards the South Korean steel major’s project. There is discontentment among the farmers regarding the compensation package and rehabilitation measures. The government has decided to hold a meeting of the RPDAC to take a decision. The meeting involving government officials, MLAs and representatives of various outfits would be convened shortly,” Arabinda Padhee, revenue divisional commission (central), told The Telegraph.

“Everything will be done with the people’s consensus and participation. Legitimate demands regarding livelihood stakes of displaced and land-losing families will be met within the parameters of the rehabilitation and resettlement policy of the state government. The villages falling in Dhinkia gram panchayat have been excluded from the territorial purview of the project in view of the local people’s resistance. However, those willing to part with their land for the project will be considered,” Padhee said.

Posco, billed as the country’s largest foreign direct investment project, needs 4,004acres for its 12 million tonne per annum steel plant. Of this, 3,566acres are government and forestland and 438acres belong to private owners. The administration has already acquired nearly 2,000acres in Gadakujang and Nuagaon.