Raisuan: A private company is reportedly trying to acquire over a hundred hectares of forest land in Bansapal area of Keonjhar district for its expansion, though the local tribal residents are strongly opposing it.
According to a report, when the company set up its plant at Shankari in Phuljhar panchayat years ago, the locals had dreamt of a change in their socio-economic condition. They were hopeful of employment and other means of earning opportunities in the locality so that they don’t have to migrate to other states.
The company reneged on the promises it had made to the people while acquiring their land, the locals claimed.
Locals alleged the firm didn’t create job opportunities for them, nor did it work on peripheral development.
They said the company is now keen to expand its capacity and sets its sight on 124.1039 hectares of forest land. It wants to acquire the land through IDCO. A notification has been issued for the land acquisition through the panchayat office.
Locals said as per guidelines, there is a need for the consent of a gram sabha for land acquisition at Shankari. “But a conspiracy is being hatched to get the land by fraudulent means by bypassing the gram sabha,” they alleged.
Most of the land belongs to forest category while tribals have been living on the land for generations. Tribals are entitled to get pattas of the land they have been living in.
They had applied to the administration for land pattas, but no step has been taken by the latter in this regard. The villagers are wary of the ‘plan’ to hand over the land to the company, it was learnt.
