Members of National Human Rights Commission at the proposed Posco project area. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Nov. 27: A panel of the National Human Rights Commission has brought into focus the non-implementation of rehabilitation and alternate livelihood package for the people displaced by the Posco project.

People living in the project area yesterday drew the attention of the visiting members of the panel, headed by special rapporteur Damodar Sarangi, to the non-fulfilment of promises.

The people brought to the fore issues such as loss of livelihood and the absence of alternate livelihood package.

Project related standoff continues as construction of the proposed eight-million-tonne per annum capacity project has failed to take off. The steel-maker requires 2,700 acres. The land acquisition process came to an end on July 4, 2013.

Of the acquired land, 1,703 acres was transferred in favour of the company. However, the company is yet to take physical possession of the land, as the project boundary wall is yet to come up.

The boundary job had to be suspended following people’s protest last year. In another setback to the project, the National Green Tribunal had later stalled the tree-cutting exercise on the acquired land.

The panel members had a patient hearing of the grievances as local residents, who had lost out their betel vineyards, narrated their tale of plight due to dismantling of their vineyards.

Various groups gave vent to their anger towards the district administration for its anti-people policy and sought the panel to intervene and protect the larger interest of those living under the proposed steel project.

Seventy families, who have been driven out from their villagers by anti-Posco activists and are living in the Posco transit colony, made a plea before the panel members and urged the commission’s intervention for early end to their plight.

“The labourers, who had lost out work following dismantling of the betel vineyards, have been provided with the Rs 2,250 monthly subsistence allowance. However, a section of labourers are yet to be paid as the company has not given us the sum for disbursal to the beneficiaries. The families, still living in the transit colony, are not willing to leave despite attempts in this regard by the administration,” said Erasama tehsildar Sarat Kumar Purohit, who accompanied the team.

Many betel vine farmers have migrated to Paradip port town and turned daily labourers to sustain, said Nuagaon villager Nakul Behera.