Kujang: As many as 52 families who had been driven out of their village near here in Jagatsinghpur district by the anti-Posco activists in 2007 have approached the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) after failing to get compensation for the loss they had incurred during the period of anti-Posco agitation, June 12, 2007, a report said Friday. In the plaint filed before the rights body, they have alleged not receiving any compensation for their losses. Their complaint also says that they were tortured by the antiPosco activists and driven out of Patana village under Dhinkia panchayat of Jagatsinghpur district, June 26, 2007 as they cooperated in the establishment of the Posco project after being urged by the government to do so.
As a result, hundreds of anti-Posco activists barged into their village tortured them, and drove them out of their houses and village. The affected villagers then lodged a complaint at the Kujang police station. The affected families were then rehabilitated at the Bhutmundai High School by the then Collector and SP.
However, they failed to lead a normal life following which the leader of the affected families Chandan Mohanty, and the elders of seven panchayats met the Chief Minister with the help of the district administration and requested him to help them return back to their villages. In view of the importance of the Posco project, the Chief Minister reportedly had urged them not to go back to their village and instead take shelter in nearby Damodar Women’s College. The Chief Minister also asked the district administration to take the responsibility of providing them food, healthcare and look after the studies of their children.
Meanwhile, the members of the anti-Posco group pulled down their houses and destroyed the belongings that they had left behind in the village while fleeing. The anti-Posco activists also stole their livestock. The affected families again drew the attention of the Chief Minister to which the latter assured to bear all the expenses towards their loss by the state government.
Later, Posco constructed a transit camp with tinned roofs at Badagabapur village and rehabilitated them in January, 2008. Around 217 members of the affected families were provided with Rs 2,000 for food which was insufficient for them. The district administration then asked them to return to their village. However, the Rs 2,000 aid towards food was stopped in 2014 after the Posco project failed to take off. Left with no option, all 30 families sought an apology from the anti-Posco activists and returned to their village.
However, around 22 families including their leaders Chandan Mohanty and Rabindra Sahu did not return until the district administration intervened. Two months after their return, they submitted an estimate of the losses which they had incurred while staying outside their native village. The estimate includes their houses, betel vines, livestock, and cashew orchards.
Later, former minister Raghunandan Das and the then Collector met Patana villagers and urged them to assist in land acquisition for establishment of industries in their area. Das and the then Collector also assured them that the state government will bear all the losses that they had incurred during the POCSO agitation period. The affected villagers met the Chief Minister and submitted a written complaint after they were not paid compensation. However, as the compensation never came by they have now visited the OHRC and submitted a written complaint.
