ROURKELA: In wake of protests by tribal villagers to the mining expansion proposal of Dalmia Cement Ltd at Rajgangpur, all eyes are on the special gram sabha that will be held on January 26.
Sundargarh Sub-Collector has written to Kukuda Sarpanch to include the land acquisition proposal of Dalmia Cement in the agenda of the gram sabha meeting there and record people’s opinion and suggestions in the proceeding.
The Dalmia Cement proposes acquisition of 406.74 acre in Kukuda village and 39.01 acre in Bihaband of Kukuda gram panchayat for expansion of its Lanjiberna Limestone and Dolomite Mine.
Earlier in October, 2018, after two failed attempts, the district administration had organised a public hearing of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for the mining expansion proposal at Dalmia Industrial Training Institute (DITI), Jhagarpur in Rajgangpur. But, villagers led by then Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey opposed it.
The administration led by then Sundargarh MLA BC Turuk tried to hold the hearing on the State Highway - 10 outside the DITI premises when another group supported it. However, Tirkey and others forcibly stopped the hearing midway and paralysed vehicular traffic on the national highway for 16 hours.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribe Chairman Dr Nand Kumar Sai had then sought intervention of Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal to invoke his executive power in the Scheduled District of Sundargarh to protect the interest of the project affected people.
The Dalmia Cement wants to enhance mining production as its third integrated cement manufacturing unit comprising a 2.25 MTPA cement manufacturing plant, 3 MTPA clinkerisation plant and 15 Mega Watt Captive WHRS Power Plant at a cost of Rs 1,994.98 crore at Rajgangpur is ready. Dalmia Cement Ltd officials refused to comment on the issue.