File picture of a meeting between district administration and villagers of the proposed Posco steel plant area

Paradip, July 30: The Odisha government has finally initiated the process for the settlement of long-standing rehabilitation and compensation issues related to the Posco steel plant project.

Revenue divisional commissioner (central division) Arabinda Padhee, who heads the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC), today made a visit to the project villages to assuage the discontent of the villagers.

During his visit, the revenue divisional commissioner held separate talks with various outfits, village elders and panchayati raj representatives, besides the displaced villagers of the Posco Transit Colony.

“We had a healthy interaction with people from various walks of life. Talks were also held with representatives of various outfits and the panchayati raj department. The outcome has been fruitful. People still evince considerable interest in the steel project,” said Padhee.

“The point of difference rests on revision of compensation and rehabilitation charters. The Odisha government is intent on taking care of larger interest of land-losers. Things would shortly be settled,” he said.

The RPDAC meeting was called to settle the long-standing rehabilitation and compensation related issues, said the senior official.

The RPDAC has been entrusted with the responsibility to decide on the resettlement and rehabilitation issues according to provisions of the Odisha Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy. Work for the big-ticket steel project had come to a halt since the December 14 violence that had claimed a life besides leaving several persons injured.

While land-losers and evicted persons are still insistent on relocation of the project, the pro-plant villagers have been demanding adequate rehabilitation and compensation package.

The revenue divisional commissioner and other district officials today visited the Posco Transit Colony at Badabagapur, the proposed rehabilitation colony at Jokerpada and the Posco camp office at Nuagaon. Later, they interacted with land-losers, displaced family members, a cross-section of farmers and betel vineyard owners.

“The interaction was cordial with officials patiently hearing local people’s grievances. They pleaded with us to settle the compensation issue and resume the project work,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena.

“There has been a perceptive attitudinal change of people towards the project. Air of discontentment prevails over rehabilitation issues, which will be sorted out shortly,” said Padhee. Everything will be done with people’s consensus.

The villages coming under Dhinkia gram panchayat have been excluded from the purview of the project in view of people’s resistance. However, those willing to part with their land to the project would be taken up for consideration for land acquisition, he said.