Bhubaneswar, June 27: Security of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s MiG factory in the Maoist-hit Koraput district came under threat today with local tribals forcibly occupying and ploughing land belonging to the public sector unit.

The HAL factory produces engine for Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 fighter jets. Around 100 tribals, who came with ploughs and bullocks, entered into a verbal duel with the HAL officials. As the situation threatened to take a violent turn, the district administration intervened.

The district has in the past witnessed several incidents of tribals forcibly occupying non-tribal land in areas such as Narayanpatna, where the Maoist-backed Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh led by Nachika Linga has been waging a war against landlords. This has created a law and order problem in the district.

The tribals, who had turned up at the HAL factory site under the banner of HAL Displaced Association, said the company was unnecessarily holding on to a lot of unused land which had in the past been acquired from them.

Koraput sub-collector Ramkant Nayak said: “We are now verifying old land records.”

The state government had acquired nearly 12,000 acres for the MiG factory at Sunabeda near Koraput in 1963.

While 3,000 acres is being used for the HAL factory, the rest 9,000 acres is lying unused.

HAL Displaced Association vice-president Trilochan Muduli said: “For the last 47 years, we have been demanding that the people displaced for the establishment of the HAL factory should be properly rehabilitated and given the compensation as per present market value.”

Since HAL was not using the land, it should be returned to the original owners, Muduli said.

Koraput district collector Sachin R. Yadav said: “We will act as per the law. The district administration has called for a meeting on July 4 to discuss the issue.”