PARADIP: Residents of Chakdradharpur village in Paradeepgarh panchayat on Tuesday disrupted the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ (ground breaking ceremony) for a proposed township, to be constructed by Arcelor Mittal.
The villagers under the banner of Gramya Surakhya Committee alleged they have not been given jobs by Arcelor Mittal, which had taken over Essar Steel’s plant in Paradip in 2019.
The new management had decided to increase capacity of the plant at Nuagarh panchayat and construct a township for which around eight acre land was acquired in the village. The protestors led by Sankarsan Das said they had given up their land for the project yet nothing has been done for their welfare and development of the area by the company.
The villagers said residents of villages near the steel plant, acquired by Arcelor Mittal from Essar, were given jobs in different projects. The firm must ensure jobs for them too near the township, they said.
After they were pacified by local sarpanch Mihir Ranjan Sahoo who rushed to the spot, villagers allowed the company’s officials to go ahead with the ground breaking ceremony. Sahoo said a proposal for jobs to families which have given up their land for the township project has already been given to the company.