Patana: Land acquisition for the proposed mega steel plant in this block of Keonjhar district has hit major obstacles as the villagers, during a gram sabha held Wednesday, strongly demanded Rs 30 crore per acre of land, 30% share of plant profits for local development and land pattas for those losing their properties.
The seventh gram sabha, chaired by sarpanch Hemalata Naik, was held at Chemena High School ground in Patana block. At the meeting, officials sought public opinion on acquiring 28 plots under 13 khatas.
The acquisition involves 13.17 acres of private land and 10.64 acres of government land. Emotions ran high when the sarpanch broke down, requesting villagers to state their demands openly and clearly.
She later hinted at facing pressure but declined to elaborate on camera. Villagers led by former sarpanch Uday Nath Naik and others submitted a 44-point charter of demands, including both compensation and basic community needs.
The project, backed by JSW and South Korean steel major POSCO, envisages a 5 MTPA capacity steel plant at an investment of Rs 40,000 crore, requiring 2,466 acres of land from 12 villages.
Meanwhile, uncertainty clouds the proposal after JSW and POSCO signed a separate Rs 35,000 crore deal to build a 6-million-tonne facility in Dhenkanal earlier this week.
The development has fuelled doubts among Patana residents about whether their plant will materialise, leaving supporters disheartened.
However, Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma Tuesday clarified that the Keonjhar part will now be restricted to iron making and the adjacent Dhenkanal district will produce steel.
Past protests in Jamunaposi panchayat against the project have led to the arrests of more than two dozen villagers. While Wednesday’s gram sabha passed peacefully, the mood in Patana reflects both anticipation of industrial growth and apprehension over displacement and unmet promises.
Senior officials, including Additional Collector Rabindra Kumar Pradhan and land acquisition officers, attended the meeting.
Security was tight, with eight platoons of police deployed and Keonjhar Superintendent of Police Kusalkar Nitin Dagudu present to oversee law and order.
