BERHAMPUR: The agitation by villagers of Aryapalli against Orissa Sands Complex (OSCOM) entered the ninth day on Wednesday. The agitators were joined by members of Dakhin Odisha Unnayan Parishad and Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha.
Demanding employment for local youths, the villagers have stopped dredging operation in the area. Although the district administration persuaded them to call off the stir, the agitators have refused to budge.
OSCOM, a unit of Indian Rare Earths Limited, under the Department of Atomic Energy, was established in the 1980s at Matikhola near Chhatrapur in Ganjam district. It is engaged in mining heavy minerals like ilmenite, rutile, zircom, silimanite, garnet and monazite from the beach sand. The minerals are used in manufacturing white pigment, ceramics, polishing glass and TTV tubes. After its inception, locals had demanded employment in OSCOM and in 2011, the company procured land in lieu of employment to the local youths and compensation. However, the locals’ demands allegedly went unheeded. The villagers, on September 18, obstructed OSCOM’s dredging operation in the northern side of Aryapalli, protesting the callous attitude of the company’s authorities in meeting their demands.
This prompted OSCOM authorities to lodge a complaint with the Marine police station against the agitators following which a case was registered against 12 villagers. The company, in a prayer, at Chhatrapur sub-judge court appealed to restrict the entry of outsiders to its area of operation. Accepting the appeal, the court issued notices to the 12 persons and has directed them to produce record of rights documents over the dredging area.
Simanchal Nahak of Dakhin Odisha Unnayan Parishad and Rabi Rath of Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha said the OSCOM officials took away lands of villagers in 2011 with an assurance to compensate them duly. However, no compensation has been provided so far but the company continued dredging the lands owned by villagers. Villagers had apprised the RDC (southern division) about the issue in January this year and he had directed the OSCOM officials to meet the demands by June-end. But no action has been taken.
Justifying demands of villagers and demanding withdrawal of cases against the 12 persons, checking pollution from the monozite plant, leaders of the two outfits said the State Government should intervene in the long-pending issue now. They alleged that instead of resolving the issue, the Ganjam administration is trying to suppress the voice of villagers.
On the other hand, OSCOM officials refuted the allegation. They informed that mining is on in the area for the last 30 years following a long term lease granted to it by the State Government to mine heavy minerals. They further said there has been no displacement because of the dredging work. While south side of the leased lands were being dredged by the company, it has now started dredging private lands on the north side. As per the lease, it will dredge the private lands for a period of three years and the land owners will get `17,000 per acre per year. After three years, the OSCOM will raise plantations over the dredged lands before handing them back to their owners. Meanwhile, villagers threatened to intensify stir if any of the agitators is arrested.