JAGATSINGHPUR: Residents of Nuagaon panchayat in Erasama block have vowed not to give up land for the establishment of industries and related facilities under the land bank scheme of IDCO.
The villagers made their intentions clear at a public hearing by refusing to accept snack packets and water bottles provided by the administration. Sources said Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS) and Odisha unit of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) have prepared a draft report for the establishment of industries and allied facilities on 44-acre land in Nuagaon panchayat. The administration had conducted a public hearing as required by law to obtain the consent of affected families.
During the SIA survey, villagers, led by Bipin Pradhan and Bishnu Lenka, voiced concerns over irregularities in data collection process. They objected to the officials filling in the data sheets with pencils instead of pens, fearing it could lead to tampering or omission of data. As a result of the protest, only 20 per cent of the affected families were surveyed.
At the public hearing, officials claimed the SIA survey had covered all affected families, but the villagers insisted that only 20 per cent of the families had actually been surveyed. Out of 194 families set to be affected by the proposed land acquisition, only 44 participated in the hearing. The villagers demanded reforms to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARR Act) of 2013 to ensure better protection and benefits for affected families.
Land losers like Anada Rout, Khetrabasi Swain, Ranjan Rout, Tirtharaj Mantri, Sisir Swain and others highlighted the hardships faced by affected people in neighbouring Dhinkia village where land had already been handed over for industrial development. Citing the sufferings of the villagers, they vowed not to surrender their land under IDCO’s land bank scheme.
As per section 7 of RFCTLARR Act, the SIA report must be evaluated by an independent expert group before being submitted to the government for approval. ADM, Paradip, Lalit Behera, said while only 44 land losers participated in the hearing, their objections were noted, and a report will be submitted to the state government for further action. He assured the government’s decision would be communicated to locals.