Jajpur/Kalinganagar/Jajpur Road: In a first of its kind move, revenue divisional commissioner (Central) Akhil Bihari Ota ordered conducting of the rehabilitation and peripheral development advisory committee (RPDAC) meetings every three months while asking IDCO to acquire land for shifting villages of Baragadia and Sarangpur who reel under industrial pollution.
Presiding over the meeting, Ota called for special audits every three months on the employment scenario in the industrial region while directing stringent action against firms violating pollution norms.
The outcome of the meeting, which was held after a gap of 17 months, was welcomed by residents. They are, however, skeptical of its implementation as issues of industrial pollution, rehabilitation, compensation packages and employment have kept them haunting since long.
In the meeting, Ota said the RPDAC meeting over Kalinganagar Industrial Complex should not be held in a period of 18 months or three years but every three months so as to better address people’s problem. The fact that the meeting is held after long gaps only encourages conflicts and gives rise to problems in the industrial pocket, he observed.
Members attending the meeting said, although growth has taken place in the region, issues like displacement, rehabilitation, peripheral development and safeguarding environment have turned to be main problems.
He also asked Visa Steel in Jakhapura to control pollution and Tata Steel to distribute identity cards and land pattas to displaced villagers by September 30. He also said a special meeting will be held with Tata Steel at Cuttack to sort out various issues plaguing the steel major and the displaced residents.
He expressed concerns over non-utilisation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.
It may be recalled that, the fourth and fifth RPDAC meetings were held September 15, 2012 and April 8, 2015 respectively. In the last RPDAC meeting, members had stressed proper utilisation of CSR funds.
An action plan of `14,28,98,714 was prepared for 2015-16 financial year but unfortunately, the sum was reduced to `2,83,67, 505 in this financial year which came in for flak from various quarters.
Tata Steel, which had prepared an action plan of `11, 46, 87, reduced the amount to `19, 19,000 this year. The steel major’s apathetic attitude towards CSR activities has been condemned by residents.
Newly appointed Jajpur collector Ranjan Kumar Das was welcomed in the meeting. MP Reeta Tarai, Sukinda MLA Preeti Ranjan Ghadai, Zilla Parishad president Susant Kumar Mishra, SP Anup Kumar Sahoo, Kalinganagar ADM Abdul Alim Khan, Sukinda and Danagadi panchayat samiti chairperson Bhagabati Mohanta and Lalita Ray and special land acquisition officer Nihara Ranjan Das attended the meeting. PNN
