PARADIP: Hundreds of land losers and displaced families of 17 villages under the banner of Jamihara Krushak Ekta Manch on Monday launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of Kujang tehsil demanding permanent jobs in Paradip Refinery project of IOCL.
Sources said 3,345 acres of land in 17 revenues villages under Kujang and Ersama tehsils were acquired for the refinery project by the IOCL. Even the compensation and rehabilitation packages meant for the land losers and displaced families were not properly implemented. Similarly, not a single affected family member has got permanent job in the plant, they alleged.
Despite several requests and agitations, Jagatsinghpur district administration and IOCL authorities are yet to provide jobs to the victims. On October 3, president of the forum Navin Pradhan had threatened to resort to hunger strike over the issue. They had also sought the intervention of CM Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Chairman of ICOL, RDC (Central Division) Cuttack and the Collector into the matter. But no action has been taken so far.
Paradip Additional District Magistrate Biswajit Biswal said permanent jobs have been given to the candidates, who have qualified the test conducted by the IOCL authorities. Nearly 100 youths belonging to land loser families have been engaged in IOCL after being trained at CIPET, Bhubaneswar. The land losers will be given jobs in phases, he added.