ROURKELA: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has once again summoned top officials of the State Government and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) over little progress in implementation of its recommendations for rehabilitation and employment of tribal displaced persons of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP).
A sitting of the commission to hear the matter has been scheduled for October 18 in New Delhi. The Chief Secretary along with Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management department, ST/SC Welfare department Secretary, Sundargah Collector, SAIL Chairman and CEO, RSP have been asked to attend it.
NCST Director Dr Lalit Latta has asked the Commission’s Chairperson Nand Kumar Sai to fix the time of the sitting at 3 pm on October 18. The State Government officials and SAIL authorities concerned have been requested to appear in person.
Significantly, in its fifth sitting on June 20, 2017, the then Chief Secretary A P Padhi, former Union Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma, ex-SAIL Chairman P K Singh and the then RSP CEO Ashwini Kumar among others had appeared before the Commission.
The Commission, in its initial report, had made scathing remarks against the RSP and observed that fake displaced persons had been given jobs.