Jajpur/Kalinganagar: People’s demand for industrialisation in Jajpur district seems to be on the wane as two industrial units failed to lay their foundation stones over the last two weeks due to stiff opposition by locals, a report said.
The opposition of the residents stems from the fact that the firms were trying to take over the public land for establishment of their units and were ignoring employment of locals.
Reports said Kesika Metallics had planned for its ground breaking ceremony near the Biju Patnaik Park at Kalinganagar March 7 while Darcl Logistics had planned its foundation stone laying ceremony Tuesday.
Darcl Logistics had planned to establish its hub over 10 acre of land in Danagadi tehsil but its plan for laying the foundation stone was frustrated after locals opposed handing over the land, comprising a pastureland and playground, to the firm. This led to face-off between the locals and the police personnel present there.
Locals alleged that when the district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc over coronavirus scare, the Dangadi tehsil officials carrying out measurement of the land and the foundation stone laying ceremony are in clear defiance of the collector’s order.
It is alleged that the firms overlooking the problems of the residents and the displaced has led to a sharp resentment among the locals.
Moreover, the chances of getting employment in these firms were getting slimmer by the day on account of which locals are no longer enthusiastic about industrialisation.
The firms which had earlier established their units here never tried to fulfill the aspirations of the local people on the fronts of employment and peripheral development. And this led to discontent among the people.
The state government has planned to build Kalinganagar as a mega industrial hub for which many downstream industries from in and out of the state have expressed their interests to establish their units here.
The locals were also annoyed on the construction of a logistics park on a forest land adjoining the land identified for Darcl Logistics.
A local environmental outfit, Kalinganagar Parivesh Surakshya Samiti, has filed a case (42.2019) in the National Green Tribunal on construction of the logistics park. The case is sub-judice.
Narayan Dixit, additional tehsildar of Danagadi, said they were measuring the land for handing it over to Darcl Logistics but postponed it due to opposition by locals.