Panel sends team to assess tribal issues

ROURKELA: As mandated by National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), a three-member team of Quality Council of India (QCI) on Tuesday started a survey in Sundargarh district to assess the problems faced by its tribal population.

The NCST said the QCI, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, would conduct on-ground analysis on a brief pilot basis to look into the problems faced by the tribals across the country. The commission said the findings of the QCI would help it in recommending certain policy interventions for uplift of tribals of the country.

The three focus areas of the assessment study are displacement due to large infrastructure, land acquisition/land transfer and financial inclusion of tribals. Sources said the team arrived at Rourkela on Monday and would leave for Bhubaneswar on May 17. On Tuesday, the team members held discussions with top officials of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and some non-Government voluntary organisations.

The QCI panel is also scheduled to hold talks with Sundargarh Collector, Land Acquisition Officer, Rourkela ADM and visit some of the resettlement colonies of RSP and a few villages.

Acting on the petition of tribal displaced persons of RSP, including Lachhu Oram and others, the NCST has been going tough against the RSP, Sundargarh district administration and Odisha Government.

It had earlier instructed to settle pending employment and compensation issues of the leftover displaced persons of RSP along with return of unused surplus land of the steel plant to the original tribal owners.
Last year, acting on a fresh petition filed by Lacchu Oram, the NCST had instructed the district administration to stop all development projects on RSP land.

Oram said during the meeting with the QCI panel, they would bring to their notice that nothing has been done to settle pending issues of employment, compensation and return of surplus land. He said the settlers of the resettlement colonies of RSP have not yet been given records of reclamation of land.

The NCST has asked the QCI panel to accompany Oram during his visit to the resettlement colonies.