Jajpur: Tension struck employees of the state-owned Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) and villagers displaced by the project after reports on its privatisation started doing the rounds, Thursday
Workers of Neelachal Ispat Nigam limited (NINL) and displaced people staged demonstrations opposing the move outside the Neelachal House Thursday. They flayed the move of the state government to privatise the company.
The Union Steel Ministry formed NINL for establishment of a second steel plant near Daitari in the state in 1984 for which land acquisitions were carried out in phases from 90s. The company was jointly promoted by MMTC, IPICOL and OMC.
The state government applied before the Centre to hand over the steel firm to it, December 14, 1992.
Accordingly, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the state government and the Centre April 12, 1994 following which the latter handed over the property worth Rs 7.7290 crore to the former at a token price of Re1.
As per the agreement, NINL will again go back to the Centre if the state government does not convert it into an integrated steel plant. As time passed on, the state government signed a partnership agreement with MMTC to run the plant. Later, land acquisitions were made and production started from 2000.
A total of 668 families had been displaced by the project out of which 452 families received employment in the plant. At the time of the land acquisitions, the state government had announced a second steel plant. However, although two decades have passed since production started from the plant, the dream of having a second steel plant is yet to be realized.
The MMTC has now decided to withdraw its investment from the steel plant while the state government is learnt to be making efforts to privatise the plant.
The employees association of the plant met former minister and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das and demanded protection of the plant. They urged him that the state government make more investment in the plant for its development.
However, Das told them that the state government was in favour of disinvestment in the plant. Later, Kalinganagar Shramik Sangha, Nilachal Visthapita Sangha, Kalinganagar Mazdoor Union and Neelachal Nirbahi Sangha gheraoed the Neelachal House.
They staged protests and gave away slogans against disinvestment in the plant. Locals said the state government had acquired their land for establishment of a state-owned steel plant but subsequently cheated them. They demanded compensations from the authorities.
Expressing resentment at the decision of the state government, Babuli Purti, leader of Kalinganagar Visthapita Sangha said privatization of the steel plant will never be tolerated. He warned that the Sangha would stage massive movements through road blockades.
PNN