Paradip, Aug. 8: The land acquisition drive by state-run Industrial Development Corporation (Idco) has run into rough weather at villages near Paradip industrial hub as landowners have stepped up their demands for a higher relief package.

Idco has already undertaken the process to acquire privately owned land for future downstream industrial ventures. The drive was initially a smooth, but the landowners from Fatehpur, Pratappur Palei, Jaladharpur, Gandakipur, Kabalpur, Kharigoth, Raghunathpur, Kochiladevi, Kaliapata, Mangarajpur and Duadia are now want a revised relief package.

“We have taken up the matter with district authorities, Idco and elected people’s representatives. The government should suitably compensate us for the loss of fertile land. The compensatory award being offered to us is too meagre. Unless the government revises the award, we will show stiff resistance against the land acquisition process,” said Harekrushna Samal, an office bearer of Barunei Krushak Ekata Manch, an outfit espousing the cause of landowners.

“The compensation amount is arbitrary. The government is bent on dispossessing us from land while paying us too little. It seems there are two sets of policies for compensation payment. The authorities are paying nearly Rs20 lakh per acre to acquire land for the Posco project.

The landlosers have received Rs 19.10 lakh per acre while selling land for the Essar steel project. But the compensation award has been fixed at Rs 8 lakh for our land. This is injustice,” said Sangram Routray, the president of the outfit.

“The land acquisition process for mega industries often faces many challenges. People earlier were willing to give away land against the fixed compensation sum. The higher land acquisition package announced for landlosers for Posco and the Essar projects has made people more demanding,” said Sangram Mahapatra, general manager, Idco. “There has been a show of protest in Patrapur, Fatehpur, Gandhikipur and Jajadhar. Their principal issue is that the compensatory sum against the acquire land is on a lower side. The demand petitions have been forwarded to the concerned authorities,” said Surajit Das, additional district magistrate, Paradip.