A betel farmer at Dhinkia. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Nov. 6: Betel rearing has shot up in areas close to the proposed Posco steel plant site here.

Farmers of Gobindpur, Nuagaon and other villages, which fall within the steel plant limits, have started raising vineyards in adjoining areas with the compensation money that they received for giving away their land.

The betel farmers of Dhinkia village are visibly upbeat. With betel vine groves in neighbouring villages having been completely wiped out to pave way for the steel project, Dhinkia has become the hub of betel leaves trade.

There were hardly 350 vineyards before the last phase of land acquisition for the steel plant was undertaken about six months ago. Now over a thousand betel vines dot the area as the government decided not to acquire any betel farms at Dhinkia.

Besides Dhinkia, the preferred destinations to set up betel vines are Andhurani, Kanabali, Trilochanapur and others villages in Kujang block. Investing the compensation amount, the displaced betel farmers have made up their mind to carry forward their age-old occupation.

“I received Rs 5 lakh as compensation. With the money, I have built a new betel vineyard at Dhinkia,” said Gobindpur villager Tukuna Burdhan. “It is a positive development. The endeavour of villagers to become self-reliant deserves kudos,” said Erasama tehsildar Sarat Kumar Purohit.