ROURKELA: The fate of more than 2,000 affected families continues to hang in balance with the proposed Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Sundargarh’s Bhedabahal reportedly getting scrapped and the state government unwilling to return the acquired land.
After central PSU Power Finance Corporation (PFC) proposed to set up the 4,000 MW UMPP at Bhedabahal under Lankahuda panchayat in Sadar block, notification for land acquisition was issued in 2010. Land for project was acquired in Lankahuda, Kopsingha, Rupudihi, Kirei, Kandabahal and Bhedabahal.
In next four years, the IDCO acquired 2,732 acre of private land for which 98 per cent compensation amounting to about `614.50 crore was paid till 2014. The rehabilitation and periphery development advisory committee (RPDAC) headed by the RDC (North) at its meeting in October 2014 had decided that payment of compensation for trees and structures were to be paid only after finalisation of the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colony site.
While the affected families wanted the R&R colony to be set up near Kirei and Semina villages, the administration earmarked 785 acre along Ib river for the purpose. The administration also offered to set up a high-level ring road along the river to connect state highway-10 at Bhedabahal and Ib bridge near Bandhpali via Japang, Kopsingha and Semina villages.
Moreover, the project level R&R committee led by the Sundargarh collector further offered to set up school, health centre, cinema hall, mobile tower, community centre, kalyan mandap, playground, park and 24X7 water supply free of cost for 15 years at the identified R&R colony site, the architecture design of which was to be prepared by IIT-Kharagpur.
But with no response from Orissa Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of PFC, on the project, no further action could be taken. Incidentally on March 27, 2023, the office of Sundargarh collector in a letter to the Revenue and Disaster Management department informed that till date, no step was taken by the project proponent for establishment of the UMPP. It went on to say that the affected families are frequently visiting the grievance cell for immediate release of compensation for trees and structures irrespective of the project status citing that they have exhausted land compensation amount and facing acute financial and livelihood difficulties.
Earlier in December 2020, the administration had asked OIPL authorities to place the issue before their board for a decision. A high-level meeting by the chief secretary on June 30, 2021 also failed to evoke any response from the OIPL.
Sundargarh sub-collector and land acquisition officer for the UMPP Dasarathi Sarabu said no communication has been received from the OIPL about status of the proposal. Meanwhile, a senior revenue official said the acquired land would be retained by IDCO in the event of OIPL project not coming up.