Congress demands cancellation of Public Hearing

BERHAMPUR: With just a day to go for the public hearing on Tata Steel projects, Congress leader and former Union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu submitted a memorandum to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern division), addressed to the Governor, demanding cancellation of the hearing. The party members protested the setting up of ferrochrome plant, rebar mill and desalination plant on the lands acquired about a decade and half back.Tata Steel had signed a MoU with the Orissa Government during the nineties for setting up a mega steel plant in Chhatrapur in Ganjam district. Later, it acquired over 3,300 acres of land despite strong protests by the locals and rehabilitated the displaced families near Sitalapalli besides paying them compensation.  With the lingering protests by the displaced families delaying work for the proposed mega steel plant, the company shelved its project. After retaining the land for a long time, Tata Steel decided to set up an Industrial Park over it for which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also laid the foundation stone in August last year. The company also announced three plants _ high carbon ferrochrome, Rebar mill and desalination plant _ over 450 acres of the acquired land. The plants estimated to cost  around ` 800 crore were scheduled to start production by 2013. To meet the water needs Tata Steel decided to store rainwater and not use the irrigation water. Besides, the desalination plant would be capable of supplying sufficient water for the park. With an assurance to employ 450 persons in the three plants in the first phase, the company also decided to raise a green circle on 150 acres, which would produce more than 98,000 saplings and provide jobs to another 1,000 persons. Accordingly, Tata Steel applied for Environmental Clearance but before giving a go ahead the Orissa State Pollution Control Board called a public hearing at  Chamakhandi on September 20. The displaced families have urged the Collector to intervene and ensure that Tata Steel pays a compensation of ` 10 lakh to each family settled in the rehabilitation colony besides an allowance of ` 15,000. Justifying their demand they stated that at the time of land acquisition the land value was ` 1 lakh but has now increased manifold.