With uncertainty shrouding over the South Korean steel major Posco’s project near Paradip, project site villagers, who were supporting the project, are in a state of despair.
These people had handed over their land to the mega venture without an iota of protest and had got compensation. They happily saw their agricultural land acquired and betel vines demolished.
However, 10 years down the line when the company was preparing to virtually down its shutters, these locals, who have exhausted their compensation money by now and are eyeing to get jobs in the company or start new business ventures, are struggling to collect their bread.
Moreover, these people are neither getting any alternative livelihood nor pension as promised by the Government. The State Government had decided to organise RPDAC meeting, but not a single was held so far.
Pro-Posco leader Tamil Pradhan said the State Government should return the acquired land to the locals or set up an industry in the land if Posco project is actually not coming up.
Supporting or protesting Posco had also created much social discord in the locality. For a time, when the Posco movement was at its peak, lawlessness, fear and social stigmas ruled the roost and people were living with much unease. Even, five persons were killed in a clash that took place between the project opponents and supporters.
Meanwhile, the hard-pressed locals of Nuagaon have already started betel vine farming in the land. The people of Gobindapur have decided to go for setting up of betel vine en masse in the acquired land very shortly, informed a Gobindapur villager.
According to sources, about 1,118 betel vines were demolished in five villages including Nuagaon, Polanga, Bayanalakanda, Gobindpur and Noliasahi for the project during land acquisition. A compensation of about `24.40 crore was distributed among the villagers towards cost of uprooting of the betel vines and acquiring two prawn ponds and horticulture trees spread over a reserved Government land. Of the required 2,700 acres of land, the Government had managed to gather 1,703.56 acres in favour of the company.