Talcher: Approximately 62 years ago, 411 families had given up their homestead land in Balanda area to MCL for the development of South Balanda coal mine. Now with the mine lying abandoned and closed for the last 16 years, there are still several people who are yet to get proper compensation after being displaced. Days after MCL was awarded by the Centre for record coal production, those that had been displaced raised their issues here. “The MCL has not yet provided basic amenities to the displaced people at the Handidhua rehabilitation colony set up for them here.
However, it is getting awards,” some oustees lamented. Kapur Pradhan, a displaced member said that all families at the colony have not been provided electricity and drinking water. He also informed that 40 families have not got pattas. Another oustee, Nabin Pradhan said that they do not have a pond and a cremation ground at the colony. In the absence of cremation ground, they face a lot of difficulty in carrying out rituals. Tripura Pradhan, another resident said that though they had drawn attention of the district administration towards the basic problems of the colony, little has been done to remove plight of the rehabilitated people.
According to the displaced people, MCL had acquired 662 acres of land of Balanda villagers in 1960 for coal mining for the first time in Talcher locality. In 1962, another 238 acres of land was acquired by the company for Jagannath Pokharia coal mine in accordance with Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957. In 1985, the MCL acquired 273 acres including homestead land. Thereafter, the MCL initiated efforts to rehabilitate 411 families who lost their homes. In 1992, a rehabilitation colony was set up on a 24- acre of land at Handidhua to rehabilitate 321 families while the remaining 90 families were provided land at Baghamara.
However, that land was not habitable, it was alleged. The Handidhua colony was also not equipped with the basic facilities as the displaced are entitled to. The Odisha government published a notification January 2, 1989 on this issue. As per the notification, each displaced family is entitled to get 0.10 decimal of land, roads in the colony, street lights, school, healthcare facility, drinking water, playground, veterinary and, entertainment centres, shops and plantations. However, the MCL provided only 0.5 decimal of land to each of the displaced families. After repeated pleas, the MCL constructed a narrow road in the colony July 26, 2016. As it did not provide street lights, the local civic body did so. Healthcare and entertainment centres and shops were not provided, it was alleged. Just opposite the colony at Handidhua, the MCL has quarters for its officials. There all facilities are available including clean drinking water.
However, people at the colony are forced to drink polluted groundwater, some of the families alleged. Due to the paucity of basic facilities, scores of people have left the colony for other places. As of now only 100 people are residing in the colony. The displaced families on a number of occasions have written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about their plight, but to no avail. Area manager of MCL’s Jagannath coalmine, Ashok Kumar Dhal was contacted over phone, but he did not pick up the call. Earlier, over 15 displaced families of Gopalprasad locality staged protests in front of the Hingula area office of MCL, demanding employment and right amount of compensation. Notably, MCL had acquired 348 acres of land at Gopalpur in 2010 for the Hingula coal mine.