With strong resentment, land-affected people of Chhendipada in Angul district deserted a Rehabilitation & Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting opposing non commitment of the National Aluminium Company (Nalco) authorities to provide them employment and adequate compensation.
 

The recent RPDAC meeting under the chairmanship of RDC Suresh Chanda Dalei discussed about the rehabilitation and employment issues arising out of the required land acquisition for the Utkal D and Utkal E coal blocks at Chhendipada. The affected people of villages like Raijharan, Nandichhod and Gopiballvapur demanded job opportunities to their family members.

But the non-commitments of the Nalco authorities to provide employment and adequate compensation to the villagers created discontentment among the people and they left the meeting. The RDC postponed the meeting after the villagers boycotted it.  

Later, the affected people said they would not give their lands to the Nalco without employment opportunities and compensation. Activist and Congress leader Er Sasmita Behera said, “The profit-making PSU Nalco must take the employment responsibility of the affected people and then operate the coalmines.”
 

The Nalco has failed to develop the Utkal D and Utkal E coal blocks even after five long years of their allotment, seriously affecting its energy security. The Government of India allocated the two coal blocks to the Nalco in May 2016 for fuel supply to its captive power plant. The Nalco was supposed to develop the coal blocks within 44 months after their allotment.
 

Seven villages of Chhendipada block, namely, Nandighos, Raijharan, Kosala, Gopinathpur, Jungle, Kundajharinala and Similisahi, would be affected by coalmining. Around 700 extended families of these villages would be displaced.
 

 “The allotted coal blocks may be developed at the earliest to ensure supply of coal to the captive power plant," the CAG had said in its report tabled in Parliament.
 

Previously in August 2004, the Government of India had allotted the Utkal-E coal block to the Nalco to meet the additional requirement of coal for its captive power plant (CPP) for its capacity expansion from 960 MW to 1,200 MW. However, the Nalco failed to implement the project in due time and subsequently faced cancellation of allocation of this coal block following a Supreme Court order to de-allocate 204 coal blocks across the country.
 

The same was again re-allotted along with another coal block (Utkal-D) to the company in 2016. However, both the captive coal blocks are yet to be developed.

The Nalco management many times stated that production of aluminium in its smelter plant was restricted keeping in view the availability of economical power from the CPP. The Mines Ministry also endorsed this view. In view of this, the CAG also previously asked the Nalco to develop the coal blocks at earliest to ensure fuel supply to its power plant.