Paradip, June 2: The state government has claimed to have ended the deadlock over laying of a Paradip-Ranchi-Raipur pipeline by negotiating a settlement with the protesting farmland owners.

Work on laying the underground pipeline had come to a grinding halt during the past year with the affected farmers and landowners opposing the move.

"The issues raised by landowners mainly pertained to the demands of compensation. Besides, the landowners were apprehensive that underground pipeline would adversely affect farming activities. The administration held talks with the landowners and urged them not to stall the work," said Paradip additional magistrate Ramakrushna Sahu.

"They relented and work resumed in Jagatsinghpur. There is no resistance now. Just demands raised by the landowners are being addressed, and the Indian Oil's pipeline division officials are committed to ensure the farmers' larger interest," said Sahu.

As a precautionary measure, police patrolling has been beefed up at Santra creek and Pokharipada where the pipeline work has resumed. Though people have not registered any protest till now, security has been stepped up to ensure no law and order problems, said sub-divisional police officer Bhabani Shankar Mishra.

Antarjami Pradhan, a landowner from Kujang affected by the project, said: "The laying of pipelines on our land had affected farming activities and that is the reason we had protested. However, the officials have promised to compensate us, and we have stopped demonstrating. We hope the government will give us adequate compensation against the damage caused to our agricultural land."

The pipeline that is being laid will evacuate petroleum products from Indian Oil Company Limited's under-construction refinery at Paradip to Ranchi and Raipur. According to plan, about two millions tonne per annum of motor spirit, kerosene and high-speed diesel is expected to be evacuated through the proposed 1,108km pipeline, said a company official.