Talcher, May 29: Despite getting a fresh voter identity card from the administration, a youth who lost his ancestral land to a mining project of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) had been declared dead in 1992, as per the records available with MCL.
“The MCL authorities took away our land and later declared me dead though I am alive. They refused me a job since I am dead in their records,” lamented Subal Nayak of Tendulei village here in Angul district.
“Though my husband has given all the evidence required to prove he is alive, it has not worked so far,” said Subal’s wife, demanding immediate employment as they had given away their land for MCL’s project.
Last year, Talcher administration had issued him a fresh voter identity card which confirms that he is alive. However, the administration has not come forward to give him justice in the case, a depressed Subal said.
According to reports, Subal, one of the four sons of late Jay Nayak, lodged a complaint with the public grievance cell of the sub-collector alleging he was not given job by MCL even as their land was acquired by the company years ago. Based on the complaint, the sub-collector sought an explanation from the general manager (GM) of Jagannath Area of MCL in 2015.
Responding to the letter of the sub-collector, then GM admitted that Jay’s agricultural land measuring about 1.5 acre had been acquired in 1985.
Subal, one of the sons of Jay, was even given a job as other sons were not eligible for it. However, a land acquisition survey in 1992 revealed that Jay was not a permanent resident. Despite this, the company offered a job to Subal but he died before he could join, said the GM in his response. On this letter of MCL, Subal said he had never been offered any job in the company. If he died before joining the job, the company should produce his death certificate, he added.
The authorities are misleading him as he is illiterate and belongs to Dalit community, Subal said. Some villagers came out in Subal’s support and said he has been running from pillar to post for the last 20 years, but in vain. He is alive and a permanent resident of this village, sarpanch of Tendulei Liza Behera said.
Incumbent GM of MCL’s Jagannath Area, RP Gupta, said a family survey conducted under Land Acquisition (LA) Act revealed that Subal was dead. A fresh investigation would bring the truth to light, Gupta added. PNN