Jajpur, October 9 (odisha.in) In a bid to resolve the deadlock between NINL authorities and Sarangapur villagers over displacement in Kalinga Nagar, the steel hub of India, the Jajpur Collector, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Kalinga Nagar ADM, BK Panda and Superintendent of Police, DS Kute on Tuesday held talks with the agitating villagers.
A decision by the district administration to organise such meeting to-day to interact with the Sarangapur villagers on the displacement agitation was taken after the latter on Monday informed the former to lock the gates of the NINL accusing the public sector steel plant of polluting the ground water resources of their village, destroying village roads, damaging cultivable lands and spreading various diseases among the villagers.
The villagers under the banner of the Sangram Jan Manch (SJM) has been spreading agitation against NINL demanding immediate displacement of their village for the last couple of months in the Kalinga Nagar.
In recent times, the SJM has, however, locked all entrance and exit gates of the NINL two times protesting against the plant’s dilly dallying attitude towards the villagers’ displacement.
“The Sarangapur village has over 650 residents. The plant is located in close proximity of the our village, as a result of which the dusts, smoke and other effluents from it are damaging our residential houses and crop fields and polluting water bodies, besides spreading various diseases among the villagers,” alleged Sarat Sahoo, leader of the SJM.
When contacted, Jajpur Collector, SK Singh said, “The Sarangapur villagers are facing pollution and other problems for the NINL plant. The village roads and the farm lands are being destroyed. The plant has been asked to take anti pollution measure and to immediate repair of the village roads.”
Odisha.in