Angul, Feb. 17: Even as hundreds of people who would be affected by a coalmine in Chhendipada area sat on dharna opposing the meeting of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee, the district authorities went ahead with it here this afternoon.

Massive police deployment was made both at the dharna site in Chhendipada and at Angul, where the meeting was held, in view of the violence that had occurred when the last meeting took place six months ago.

Being developed by the Adani Group, coal block Machhkata in Chhendipada has been allotted jointly to the Maharashtra and Gujarat state power companies.

Inhabitants of about nine affected villages in Chhendipada block have been opposing the project.

Today’s meeting was held under the chairmanship of the revenue divisional commissioner (north division) P.K. Meherda.

“The meeting decided among other things to reconstitute the committee by including at least five members from the affected families. Compensation will be paid as per the new law passed by Parliament recently,” said Angul police chief Narasigh Bhol, who attended the meeting.

Prafulla Pradhan, who is heading the protest, said: “We are opposed to coal mining by Adani Group in our area. But despite our opposition, the government has issued notification for land acquisition. We will not give up our land.”