Keonjhar: As meetings of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) are not being held regularly, development in Bolani area of Keonjhar district has taken a backseat, sources said Sunday. Some members of RPDAC and activists of a voluntary organisation recently met Union Minister Arjun Munda and apprised him of the need for holding RPDAC meetings to carry forward developmental works in mineral–bearing Bolani locality. They have also written July 28 to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
Locals said that though the Odisha government is aware that no RPDAC meetings have taken place in the last two years, no steps have been taken in this regard. This has resulted in a stalemate in developmental works in Bolani. It was learned that the last time of RPDAC for the mining-affected Bolani locality was held in 2016. At that time, several decisions had been taken for various developmental activities as promised by SAIL in the area. The RPDAC should have reviewed how far developmental activities have been implemented and what works have remained unfinished, sources said. Still, mineral extraction and transportation have been going on smoothly and SAIL has been raking in the moolah.
During expansion of mining projects, SAIL had promised to do various developmental works and accordingly locals had supported it and given their consent in favour of the expansion of mining operations. However, locals alleged that developmental works promised by SAIL have not been executed. Many local issues have been left unresolved. SAIL had set up an ITI near Bolani slum, but it has remained closed since in 2016-17. There was plan to upgrade a school to the higher secondary (class XII) level.
However, still now students can only study up to Class II in the school, locals pointed out. SAIL had also promised to set up a pellet and beneficiation plant to utilise raw material in the area so as to create scope of employment for the locals.
However, the project hasn’t taken off. RPDAC’s role assumes significance with the government stressing industrialisation to foster economic growth and alleviate unemployment. As per guidelines, the decisions taken by the RPDAC are executed in the mining-hit and industrial areas. If the administration had held the RPDAC meetings in time, such issues would be discussed so as to remind the company of executing its promises, sources said. In the absence of development, local people have to suffer a lot. They have urged the administration and the Union Minister to ensure that RPDAC meetings are held regularly in the larger interest of the mining-hit people.
