Coal Minister Assures To Resolve Issues of Project Affected People In Odisha

Coal Minister Assures To Resolve Issues In Odisha

March 10, 2016 Business, Government

NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The project affected people of Talcher, Jharsuguda, and Sundergarh in Odisha led by state BJP secretary Kalindi Samal on Thursday met Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi.

Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan also accompanied the delegation.

The issues about rehabilitation and resettlement, compensatory jobs to the land oustees or their nominees were taken up during the deliberations. The delegation conveyed their disappointment with MCL, the particularly functioning of RPDAC on providing justice, resettlement claims, and compensation to the land oustees.

Lack of regular meetings, non-appointment of Rehabilitation Officer (RO) and Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) and lackadaisical approach of the committee in addressing the issue of the people was highlighted. The lack of initiative in peripheral development and other associated issues were also brought to the notice of the Coal Minister.

Taking into consideration the issues raised by the land oustees, Dharmendra Pradhan urged Piyush Goyal to constitute a high-level committee from the Ministry to redress the grievances of the land oustees and provide adequate relief and compensation.

In conformity of the request of Dharmendra Pradhan, it was decided by Piyush Goyal that a high-level committee will be constituted.

The Committee will visit affected areas for redressing the long pending demands and will give recommendations for the benefit of the oustees. The Committee will interact with the officials of the State Government, officials of MCL and all stakeholders, so as to find a just and reasonable solution to the grievances of the land oustees. It was also decided that the issues/grievance of the land oustees will be resolved within a stipulated timeframe.

Pradhan expressed his gratitude to Piyush Goyal for his kind intervention and pro-active steps. He expressed confidence that the suggested mechanism will help in resolving long pending issues, provide justice and fair compensation to the affected persons.