Kendujhar: A ‘gram sabha’ was held Sunday at Baru village in Jamunaposi panchayat under Patana tehsil in Odisha’s Kendujhar district to seek public opinion on the acquisition of private land for a proposed mega steel plant.
The gram sabha was chaired by Jamunapasi Sarpanch Shashibhushan Naik and attended by Additional District Magistrate and Special Land Acquisition Officer Rabindra Kumar Pradhan, Patana BDO Manas Ranjan Dandapat, Tehsildar Ashwini Kumar Naik and IDCO Land Acquisition Officer Jaykishore Patra, who heard the views of the affected residents.
During the meeting, residents demanded Rs 20 crore per acre as compensation for their land. They also submitted a 44-point charter of demands to the district administration, seeking development of civic infrastructure, drinking water, education, healthcare, transport facilities and employment opportunities. Villagers warned they would not part with their land unless their demands were met.
A heavy police force was deployed under the supervision of Additional SP Snehashish Sahu and Champua SDPO Rashmiranjan Sahu to maintain law and order during the proceedings. Block-level officials also assisted in conducting the gram sabha.