IOCL pipeline stir: Congress supports agitating villagers

PARADIP: Senior Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray on Sunday slammed the State government and Jagatsinghpur district administration over laying of pipeline for IOCL’s Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline (PHPL) project on ‘gochar’ (grazing) land in Dhinkia village. 

Joining the villagers, who are staging dharna in front of Phulkhai temple for the last 15 days, Routray said laying of pipeline on grazing land is violation of Odisha Government Land Settlement Act, 1962. “I am with the agitators. The district administration’s support to IOCL for laying pipeline in violation of rules can no longer be tolerated,” he said. 

Routray also demanded that the Chief Secretary should visit the spot and resolve issues of villagers before implementing the project. Former MLA Lalatendu Mohapatra was also present at the agitation site. 
On January 12, the Orissa High Court had directed Jagatsinghpur Collector to resolve the dispute pertaining to use of grazing land by IOCL for PHPL project by March 1. The petitioners had prayed the court to direct the opposite parties to refrain from using gochar land for the project. 

Locals’ protest hits cargo movement 
Paradip: Movement of cargo from Paradip port to IOCL’s refinery has been hit due to protest by residents of Kansaripatana within Jatadhari Marine police limits. The villagers are demanding compensation and jobs from IOCL, which is using their land for transportation of cargo from Paradip port to its refinery. IOCL uses the route that passes through Sandhakuda and Kansaripatana villages as it is the shortest to its plant. IOCL also has offices of its projects like Paradip-Hyderabad and Paradip-Haldia-Barunei pipelines in the area. The villagers erected wooden fences on their land and deployed watchmen for preventing IOCL officials and vehicles from entering the area.