Sundargarh: An agitation by MCL displaced over employment, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement entered into the nineteenth day Thursday, as extraction and transportation of coal from MCL-owned mines remained seriously hit. The agitating villagers are currently staging a sit-in outside the project office of MCL-owned Kulda mines. Earlier, the displaced families from 14 villages had taken out a rally Sunday chiding Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) for not living up to its promise and neglecting their demands. Notably, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled in favour of the families displaced making way for the establishment of the mines by MCL.
Meanwhile, to break the impasse, Sundargarh sub-collector Dasarathi Sarabu invited the protesting villagers for a meeting, Thursday. However, the agitating villagers asked the sub-collector to schedule it to Friday evening as the Supreme Court is likely to pronounce an order, Friday. However, the MCL continues to neglect the demands of the displaced under various pretexts. Fed up, the displaced villagers launched their stir and closed down all four mines, offices and railway sidings of MCL.
As a result, coal production and transportation from the MCL-owned mines came to a standstill. Later, they allowed road sale of coal from only Kulda and Garjanbahal mines of MCL from July 10 following a plea by the joint truck owners’ association.
Currently, all the railway sidings, offices as well as Siarmal and Vasundhara coal mines remain shut owing to this agitation. Sources said a displaced villager Mathias Oram and others filed a petition in the Orissa High Court alleging they are facing difficulties to sell off their land during any health or other problems and while trying to get educational and other loans as the MCL has denied them employment, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement by obtaining a stay order on Coal Bearing Act from 1987. This has forced them to take the extreme step of committing suicide. The High Court ruled in their favour in 2006.
However, the MCL went against the order and filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2007. The Supreme Court heard the matter but ruled in favour of the displaced villagers in 2010 directing the MCL to settle the issue with Gopalpur village within four months and with the rest 14 villages within six months. The Supreme Court also formed a Claims Commission to oversee the disposal of claims under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge. A secretary-level officer of the Union government and a senior officer nominated by the Coal India Chairperson became members of the commission. However, the work of the commission got delayed and prolonged as MCL went on filing review petitions in the apex court citing various problems. The apex court in 2007 again directed to provide rehabilitation and resettlement facilities to all villages within a period of nine months.
Informing the court, the district Collector in his report said that out of 3,034 displaced families in 10 affected villages, the rehabilitation and resettlement facilities of 1,420 families have been approved while 1,177 families have been provided with the benefits leaving only 1,614 families that are yet to get the benefits. The report also admitted that not a single affected village has been fully rehabilitated.
As benefits got delayed, residents of Jhupurunga, Tumulia and Ratansara villages applied in court to provide them compensation and employment within a year under the new Land Acquisition Act-2013. They launched the strike alleging that the coal firm is dillydallying in giving them the benefits and not obeying the Supreme Court order.