By Our Correspondent
PARADIP/BHUBANESWAR: With strong backing from prpjet affected locals and as well as timely support from district administration and police, as many as 25 betel vines have been dismantled till Monday of the 64 identified and acquired for the Sajjan Jindal led JSW Steel’s Integrated Steel Plant in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.
The locals of Dhinkia area of the districts have been voluntarily offering their betel vine land for the project site while impressed with the relief and rehabilitation packaged announced the company.
Sources said, on Monday, of the 14 identified and demarcated , 6 were dismantled and in last 6 days, 25 betel vines uprooted of the total 64 identified so far under Govindapur village of Dhinkia Panchayat. The process had started on December 21 in presence of local revenue official and project affected people. Erama block Tahasildar, Additional Tahasildar, Additional Tahasildar’s of Raghunathpur, Biridi, Jagatsinghpur, Local Ahayachandpur PS IIC and senior Company officials were among those present during the process.
The company will provide an extra bonus of Rs 50,000 each to betel vine farmers, those who offered their lands by January 7, 2022. Sources said, since the outbreak of COVID-19, betel vines farmers of Jagatsinghpur were facing a lot of hardship and with JSW Steel giving them alternative livelihood, locals are now started realising the fruits of industrialisation in their locality.
JSW, the leading steelmaker of India had already declared its compensation package for the project affected people with ration card in the land losing villages of Nuagaon, Gada Kujang & Dhinkia GP, for its Integrated Steel Plant at Paradip. The compensation announced is way above the policy provisions outlined in the Rehabilitation & Resettlement Policy, Government of Odisha, 2006. The proposed compensation has emerged through a series of collaborative discussions at the district, GP and village level with extensive participation of villagers, district administration and other stakeholders to elicit public opinion.
Appropriate Compensation for Betel Vines For loss of betel vines, compensation of Rs. 17500 per decimal has been declared. This is way above the government provision of Rs. 6,000/- per decimal, charted out in the Govt. R&R policy. Additionally, a bonus of Rs 50,000/- per betel vine, irrespective of size, provided it is demolished within a fortnight of announcement in the said village, has been declared.
For the first time, a differential compensation of Rs. 6000 per decimal is offered to all the old betel vine owners, who earlier received Rs. 11,500 per decimal, has been announced. For wider and inclusive coverage all the ration card holders in the eight land losing villages- namely Polang, Bayanalakandha, Jatadhara, Nuagaon, Gobindpur, Patana, Dhinkia and Mahala; who have not received Betel vine compensation or have not received any labour compensation earlier from erstwhile projects, betel vine labour compensation of Rs 88,000 – Rs 44,000/- as one-time financial assistance after demolition of all betel vines and Rs 44,000/- balance as additional bonus after completion of boundary wall of the entire project area has been offered.
For the villages from where betel vines have already been removed, eligible families will be paid Rs 44,000/- after the demarcation of the boundary wall in the said village and rest 44,000/- after the boundary construction for the project is complete.
Each Family under the Jangal Surakhya Committee will be paid Rs 50,000/- and the number of the families associated with the Jangal Surakhya Committee will be selected based on the records and proceedings of the committee for past three years. One representative member per Ration card holding family will be eligible for this compensation and the amount will be disbursed after completion of the tree felling.
Jindal South West Steel is among the largest steelmakers in the world with a current capacity of 24.5 MTPA. It is listed in S& P Dow Jones Sustainability index for emerging markets for Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) initiatives. The steel giant is expanding its steel-making capacity to 36.5 MT by March 2024. In Odisha, JSW Steel operations include a 2.5 MTPA subsidiary BPSL, 30 MT iron ore mines, 5 MT cement plant and 50 MT iron ore & coal terminal at Paradip port. JSW has proposed expansion of its brownfield project from 2.5 MTPA to 10 MTPA in a phased manner. The Paradip greenfield steel plant with 13.2 MTPA capacity is proposed with a 900 MW captive power plant, 10 MT cement plant and 12 MTPA jetty at Paradip.
