Rourkela: Protest over mining enters day five, admin unmoved

ROURKELA: The agitation of people affected by Jamkani open cast project entered day five on Wednesday but the Sundargarh administration and Vedanta Limited are showing no signs of relenting to the protestors’ demand of higher compensation for their land. 

On the request of Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete, collector Parag Harshad Gavali held discussions with a delegation of protestors and officials of Vedanta Limited on the day. However, the talks failed to break the impasse. 

Sources said on the protestors’ demand of Rs 50 lakh compensation per acre of land, the company is willing to pay a maximum of Rs 6 lakh per acre in addition to the amount already paid to the affected people. On the demand to construct a new rehabilitation site and stop mining operations till the remaining affected people are rehabilitated, Vedanta authorities said the operations would continue. 

The protestors are also demanding settlement of around 284 fresh claims under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 and remaining job claims of displaced families. But the company said the claims would be settled or rejected as perx the guidelines. 

Sundargarh ADM (Revenue) Abhimanyu Behera said the administration in no uncertain terms has told the delegation of protesters that the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) claims would be settled only as per law. Tete, who could not attend the meeting on the day due to ill-health, urged the protestors and the company to settle the matter amicably. 

Vedanta Limited started mining operations in Hemgir block on November 5 amid protest by residents of Jamkani, Mendra, Girisuan and Jharpalam. Land acquisition for the project was done around a decade back for Bhusan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL).  After cancellation of the coal block to BPSL, Vedanta had won the mining rights in an auction in 2019.