MCL displaced call off stir in S’garh

The Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) displaced people of the four gram panchayat such as Tumulia, Sumura, Gaopalpur and Balinga in Hemgir tehsil called off their five-day protest dharna on May 4 after the assurance of MCL in the presence of the district Collector.

A joint meeting of the leaders of the affected villages and MCL authority was held on May 4 under the chairmanship of district Collector Surendra Kumar Meena. The MCL authority and the district administration promised to solve all the immediate demands of the affected people within a period of three months.

The major demands of the landoustees are compensation as per the increased price under the LAAR Act, 2013, assured employment to the land loser and proper R and R and recognition of IFR and CFR rights before land acquisition.

Notably, over 8,000 hectares of patta lands in 14 villages i.e. Tumulia and Kulda (Tumulia G.P), Siarmal, Ratansara, Gopalpur, Karlikachhar, Jhuprunga(Gopalpur GP), Tikilipada and Sardega(Sumara GP),Kiripsara(Sangumda GP), Garjanbahal, Bangurkela, Bolinga and Bamkibala (Bolinga GP) were acquired by the MCL at different periods of time since 1987. Thus compensation in many villages is under process. Even actual survey has not been taken place in many villages.

Thus due to delay and denial of proper compensation, employment and Rand R, many litigations are filed in the Supreme Court and Orissa High Court.

As per the information provided by HemgiriTahasildar, in these 14 MCL affected villages, only 602 IFR claims have been filed and 316 IFR claims approved and no community forest rights has been recognised in the area.