ROURKELA: Officials of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) along with those from the Revenue department on Saturday began disbursing the rehabilitation package to the families affected by the greenfield expansion project, even as fencing work for the site continued amid heavy police deployment.
As per sources, RSP aims to double its capacity from 4.65 million tonne per annum (MTPA) to 9.80 MTPA at a cost of around Rs 30,000 crore. For this, it needs to reclaim around 1,200 acre of land at Barkani and Jharmunda that it had acquired more than six decades ago. About 300 illegal hutments are to be removed in this connection.
On the day, cheques were handed over to six affected families of Kate Basti. RSP sources informed that under the framework of the package, each affected family is entitled to Rs 5,16,620 along with 650 sqft of developed and plotted land worth around Rs 17.94 lakh as per government valuation. Moreover, one member from each affected hutment would get outsourcing job with minimum monthly wage package of Rs 20,657 and RSP would facilitate continuation of job till the person attains 60 years of age.
As many as six families who received cheques on the day were taken to the temporary transit shelter at Sector 22 (earlier Fertilizer Township). Gradually, the remaining families would also be shifted from the site to transit shelter where they can stay for maximum of six months, RSP officials said.
Meanwhile, the site fencing work around the site earmarked for the the plant’s greenfield expansion which began on April 28 is underway amid heavy police deployment. It is continuing in patches with barb wiring and concrete fencing from near the RSP’s Fertilizer Gate with target to cover around 11 km in a curve shape till near the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Bondamunda.
Incidentally, a section of the tribal protesters including affected families from Barkani and Jharmunda along with tribal villagers from nearby areas continue to oppose the expansion.
They identify themselves as the land losers of RSP and claim that they have yet to receive compensation and rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R) benefits for the same. They demand the RSP to first settle their pending grievances and till then no expansion work should start.
After police thwarted their initial attempts to physically stop the work, their protest has weakened significantly. They are now holding symbolic protest at Barkani.
On April 19 last year, a tribal agitator Eto Ekka was killed and another sustained injuries after coming under the wheels of an earth mover during protest against RSP at Barkani.
