JEYPORE: Land losers of Jeypore-Nabarangpur railway line demanded a permanent government job for one member of each affected family, during a gram sabha meeting jointly organised by the district administration and Railways at Badakaudi village under Dhanpur panchayat of Jeypore block on Thursday.
Apart from seeking employment, people demanded that the land price be fixed at par with urban rates given the proximity of the villages to the town before acquisition.“We welcome the railway project for development of the areas. But at the same time, we want jobs and proper compensation to affected families,” said Guru Sukri, a land loser. After the meeting, the railway and administration officials assured them to discuss the demands with higher-ups.
The Jeypore-Nabarangpur railway line was inaugurated in 2016-17. Two years later, land survey was carried out in over 20 different areas in Koraput district. The survey identified around 248 hectare (ha) private and 81 ha government area for acquisition besides more than 1,000 families likely to be affected by losing their landed property directly or indirectly.
But since then, land acquisition has been going on at a snail’s pace. Last year, the district administration for the first time organised a public hearing and held discussions with affected persons at Ambaguda village. There was, however, not much headway after that.
Sources said, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during a recent visit, had asked the district administration to expedite the land acquisition process for the Jeypore-Nabarangpur railway line. The proposed 42-km rail line will go through Jeypore and Borigumma blocks in Koraput district.