Resettlement before land acquisition: Posco

Posco-India has assured the people at its proposed plant site in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa that it would not go for forcible acquisition of private land and would resettle the project displaced persons first before acquiring their land.

This assurance follows a series of meetings between the Posco official and representatives of various pressures groups like Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti and United Action Committee over the last couple of months.

Sources said, the Posco officials have reached a broad agreement with the members of the community at the plant site on most issues related to compensation, displacement and employment.

Terming these talks as a success, a spokes person of Posco-India said, “The talks, held over the past few months at Paradeep, Kujanga, Jagatsinghpur and Bhubaneswar, have brought forth the company’s commitment that there will be no forcible acquisition of private land. Displaced families will be provided with a 3 room Pucca house with latrine. The Company has also agreed that displaced families will be first resettled before their land is acquired”. The company has also agreed that labour engaged in the plant construction will be from local area and preference will be given to villagers from the three grampanchayats affected by the project for employment, provided they meet merit norms. In all employment cases, the spokes person said, the government rules and Employment Exchange recommendations will be given priority.

Among other things, the Posco officials, during the course of the talks, have committed not to create conditions for further displacement, provide medical facilities of the highest standards in the area and safeguard the livelihood of the local fishermen by providing them boats and nets.

Meanwhile, latching on to this positive signals, the Jagatsinghpur district administration has shown its interest to start discussion with the Posco affected villagers in their villages to finalise the rehabilitation package and resolve other demands. The administration has sent letters to the members of the United Action Committee to select the place, date and time to hold discussion with the villagers on various pending issues.