Around 1,500 villagers on Thursday protested in front of the Tehasil office at Dharmasala of Jajpur district against a proposed cement plant at village Haridaspur. They demanded that construction of the Ramco Cement limited (RCl) project be stopped.
Ramco Birodhi Manch convener Sarbeswar Behura said, “We are determined to oppose the move of the Government to establish the cement plant in our village. Most of the residents of Haridaspur, Sundaria, Neulaur, Thanual, Arua, Gangdharpur, Palara, Dankari and other villages are poor farmers. They have been eking out their livelihoods by cultivating paddy and other crops. Their paddy fields will be destroyed by the ash and other effluents of the cement plant. The plant will also damage air and water in the area.” “We also oppose the project as the plant authorities recently denied to provide any jobs to local youths,” said Rabi Das of Haridaspur.
When contacted, district Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said, “The plant authorities have got environment clearance from the Government. Many persons will be engaged in the plant. The owner of the plant has acquired 100 acres of Government land to build the plant. We will discuss with the agitators and the officials of the cement plant to sort out the matter soon.”