Odisha: Cement company in a spot over acquisition of GP road

Panchayat office says no Gram Sabha approval given for road

ROURKELA: The Shiva Cement Ltd (SCL), a subsidiary of JSW Cement, in Sundargarh’s Kutra block is in a spot with Khatkurbahal gram panchayat (GP) office falsifying its claims of acquiring and owning the local road. In an RTI reply, the GP office has said no Gram Sabha approval was given for handing over the Khatkurbhal-Patrapada panchayat road to the company. Besides, the GP office has neither given its assent nor has any knowledge of transfer of the road to SCL.

Incidentally, villagers in May 2021 had opposed SCL’s taking control of the panchayat road under its Khatkurbahal Limestone and Dolomite mines and even clashed with police. A dozen of villagers were arrested then.Khatkurbahal sarpanch Jhadi Dhanwar, who was among those arrested, said they would move the High Court for justice. “It is clear now that Gram Sabha approval was not taken and the GP office was never intimated about any decision to transfer the road to SCL which is illegal,” claimed Dhanwar.

The sarpanch further said due to false claims of SCL, the villagers were illegally arrested. He demanded withdrawal of the criminal case against them.However, SCL’s unit head Anil Mishra said, “We have followed the due process and got lease of the said road from the government. The company has also made an alternate road. Some people with vested interests are creating law and order situation at the mines and impacting operation.”

Mishra insisted that Gram Sabha approval was obtained in 2017 and the company was transferred the land 18 months back.After acquiring SCL, JSW got Khatkurbahal mines and started excavation a few months back. But the company continues to face resistance from local villagers. On June 25, villagers had forcibly closed Khatkurbahal mines and on July 12, they clashed with SCL’s security personnel following which multiple cases were registered against them.

Amid continuing protest, JSW’s proposal for fresh acquisition of 248.88 acre land at Khatkurbahal and Phalsakani villages for mining expansion is staring at uncertainty.The company website says SCL is a strategic investment to make JSW Cement a 10 million tonne per annum (MTPA) player in the eastern part of the country and a 25 MTPA player across India. The SCL is currently investing over Rs 1,500 crore for a 1.36 MTPA clinker unit comprising 1 MTPA grinding unit and associated facilities in Kutra.

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