ROURKELA: Even as efforts for operationalising Siarmal coal mines of the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Hemgir block of the district are underway, the claims of 29 tribal forest dwellers of Siarmal under Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 are yet to be cleared.
According to sources, the district administration had settled the FRA claims of 45 tribal families coming under MCL’s Siarmal Open Cast Project (SOCP) in the first phase. The land rights claim of 29 other tribal families, though approved, in the Sub-Division Level Committee (SDLC) on FRA in 2019, have been pending with the DLC.
Sources said the land category of the remaining families would change to make them eligible for compensation claims from the MCL if they receive approval from the DLC. Those families are now not leaving their present place of dwelling due to pendency of their FRA claims.
Sundargarh Additional district magistrate (Revenue) Abhimanyu Behera said claims of the 29 tribal families are in objection stage at the DLC, adding the physical verification report is likely to come soon following which appropriate action would be taken for claim settlement.
Reportedly, the MCL was previously hoping to launch the SOCP, the largest among all coal mines in Sundargarh by 2022 end. But the target looks unattainable with the MCL’s project-affected families continuing to mount pressure to settle their claims first before opening the new mine.
Bisthapeeth Adhikar Suraksha Manch (BASM) president Rajendra Naik said numerous displaced families of MCL in Hemgir block are still waiting for settlement of their compensation claims, adding the BASM opposes expansion or opening of new mines till all their claims are settled. The administration should also immediately settle the pending FRA claims without which the SOCP project cannot operate, he added.
The SOCP envisages top production capacity of 50 million tonne per annum (MTPA) with initial plan to start with two MTPA. It is spread over Tumulia, Jhupurunga, Gopalpur and Siarmal villages and displacement process is in various stages. From its operational mines including the Kulda, Garjanbahal and Basundhara, MCL’s present production capacity is 36.6 MTPA.