Projects held up by local agitation

Business Standard, Nov 27, 2009

Hrusikesh Mohanty / Kolkata/ Berhampur

Three major aluminium projects in south Orissa's Ganjam district have been marred by delay mainly due to the stiff agitation by the environmentalists and the locals to be displaced by these projects.

These projects include the Rs 5000-crore alumina plant of the Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL) at Kasipur in Rayagada district, Vedanta Alumina's bauxite mining project at Niyamgiri hills and the Maliparbat mining project of the Aditya Alumina Limited (VAL) in Koraput district.

The work on Maliparbat mining project is yet to commence even though its land acquisition process has been completed.

Similarly, the alumina plant of UAIL is yet to be completed even though 17 years have elapsed since the beginning of construction work on this project. VAL has also not been able to kick off mining operations at the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district despite the verdict of the Supreme Court in the company's favour. These projects have been held up due to stiff resistance of the locals who are demanding higher compensation and better rehabilitation facilities. Besides, the green activists have also stepped up their opposition to the projects on environmental grounds.

As many as 118 families have been displaced by VAL's project while 243 people were displaced by UAIL. Over 11,000 people are to be displaced in Rayagada and Koraput districts by the Aditya Alumina project. Apart from the industrial and mining projects, several irrigation projects in south Orissa have run into rough weather on account of the agitation by the affected people.
The resistance by the locals has affected the irrigation projects like Chheligada project in Gajapati district, Ghatakeswar multi-purpose irrigation project in Ganjam district, Lower Indra Irrigation project at Khariar in Nuapada district and Ret irrigation project in Kalahandi district. According to the socio-economic surveys for these projects, 406 families are to be displaced by the Ret irrigation project, 3594 families by the Lower Indra Irrigation project and 360 families by the Chheligada project.
“The people have been left in lurch after being displaced from the areas in different projects. Hence, they do not have any confidence in the assurance of the government” says Madan Kirtani, a displaced person of the Upper Kolab irrigation project in Koraput.
He suggested that the amount meant for the peripheral development of the projects should be spent on the rehabilitation colony and at least one person should be provided a job in the project. Sanjeet Patnaik, a social activist pointed out that there was no provision in the state government's Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) Policy of 2006 for extending rehabilitation for the landless labourers although the same provision was there in the previous R&R policy of 1994.