PARADIP: Hundreds of land losers under the banner of Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL) Land Losers Welfare Committee staged a demonstration and took out a rally on Tuesday demanding more compensation for the land acquired by PPL as finalised in a meeting in 2010. Sources said PPL had allegedly acquired 1,509 acres of land from locals in 1982 at throwaway price for setting up its plant in Paradip. The land losers alleged that around 280 farmers are yet to receive compensation for their land owing to callousness of the company authorities and district administration.
Out of the 1,509 acres of land acquired by the fertiliser firm, only 1,200 acres was used for setting up the plant along with a township, school, hospital and railway siding. The rest of the land has been lying unused, they said. The local farmers, who have been demanding hike in the value of their land, had sought the intervention of Orissa High Court. The High Court had issued a directive to the PPL authorities and the Government to pay `14 crore to land losers as compensation. However, the land losers alleged that they were given only `4 crore in 2009-10.
Committee president Bal Krushan Jena said that at a meeting chaired by the then Collector of Jagatsinghpur on February 11, 2010 it was decided to provide the farmers the additional value of their land acquired by PPL.
However, PPL authorities’ callousness has deprived the land losers of compensation, he said. The committee has also been demanding jobs for land losers at PPL plant along with contractual and supply works to ensure economic development of the families residing in peripheral areas as per the company’s corporate social responsibility.
Meanwhile, deputy general manager (HR) of PPL Sangram Swain said the land losers’ grievances have been received by PPL and the same would be put up before the company’s management. He said the issues of land losers would be resolved soon.