The affected villagers of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) have threatened economic blockade protesting delay in convening of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting.
The agitators hailing from 40 affected villages of JSPL assembled at the collectorate on Wednesday. They staged a demonstration and burnt the effigy of HR chief of the company Saroj Mohapatra. They alleged that he was denying land-losers of their legitimate rights.
Sources said the administration had promised to hold the RPDAC meeting soon after the locals staged an agitation in February. The agitators said they would stop all construction activities in the JSPL plant area till the meeting is convened to sort out the pending rehabilitation issues.
Alleging raw deal and foul play by the company management in connivance with unscrupulous elements, they demanded jobs for each oustee family and ` 50 lakh per acre of land acquired by the company since 2005 at Nisha area. Speaking to reporters, former MP Rudra Narayan Pany blamed the State Government and company authorities for the problem.