Hundreds of villagers in Odisha’s Sundargarh district clashed with police on Saturday, demanding additional compensation for the land they had to give up for coal mining. This led to a fight between the villagers and the authorities. Additionally, they asked that Vedanta cease mining at a coal block that was assigned to the company.
Hundreds of displaced villagers barged in with two women from Jamkani village, Jema Gond and Seema Gond, whose land was being used for the bhumi pujan ceremony. However, 16 police platoons stopped them and used a mild lathi charge to scatter the crowd.
“We not only have lost agricultural income following the acquisition of our lands but have failed to find an alternate source of employment due to delays in mining operations. As the land was acquired for mining projects which did not start, the government washed off its hands and did not undertake any local development. We should be compensated under the new land acquisition law,” said Jema Gond.
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act of 2013 was being invoked by the locals as justification for their claim for compensation.
Despite Vedanta’s further ex-gratia and compensation offer of Rs. 6 lakh per acre, the locals have refused to move, claiming that new land acquisition is required.
In accordance with the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, more than 800 hectares of land in the villages of Jamkani, Mendra, Girisuan, and Jharpalam in the Hemgir block of the Sundargarh district were initially purchased for the Jamkani coal block between 2006 and 2011 for Bhusan Power and Steel Ltd. It was given to Vedanta after Bhushan withdrew, and in February 2020, the company signed a Coal Mine Development and Production Agreement with the Ministry of Coal.
With regard to location, yearly capacity, reserves, and production readiness, the Jamkhani coal block is one of the most suitable coal blocks for the company’s Jharsuguda aluminium smelter plant.
An earlier lawsuit brought by a woman and 14 other residents of Jamkani village, who disregarded the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act of 1957, questioned the state government’s authority to use IDCO to purchase land for the coal block. According to the petitioners, land acquisition in coal-rich areas should only be left to the central government or its authorised agencies.
Sundargarh additional district magistrate (Revenue) Abhimanyu Behera, however, said the land acquisition was completed in 2011 and all the affected families have received compensation. “The demand for fresh land acquisition has no validity. IDCO has transferred the land to Vedanta and it can start mining,” Behera said.