The Hindu Business Line : Tribals displaced by Tata Steel project — Orissa Govt to announce revised rehabilitation package soon

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Tribals displaced by Tata Steel project — Orissa Govt to announce revised rehabilitation package soon

Our Bureau

Kolkata , Jan. 16

THE revised compensation and rehabilitation package for villagers at Kalinga Nagar in Orissa affected by the setting up of an integrated steel-cum-iron ore mining project of the Tata Group will be announced within a month. This was indicated here by the Orissa Steel and Mines Minister, Mr Padmanabha Behera.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the first Asian Mining Congress, Mr Behera said though the recent incident where 12 tribals died at Kalinga Nagar was unfortunate, such incidents would not disturb the inflow of fresh investment to the State.

He said the Chief Minister had constituted a committee to upgrade the existing compensation and rehabilitation package, which was agreed to a couple of years ago by all stakeholders at the time of signing the MoU with the Tatas. He said the Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, would soon make a public statement on the Kalinga Nagar incident. Moreover, the State Government had plans to draft a new compensation and rehabilitation package for other greenfield mining projects.

Earlier, inaugurating the 3-day Congress, the Union minister of State for Coal, Mr Dasari Narayan Rao, said that the Centre was keen to see that 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) went into coal mining projects. A decision had already been announced allowing 100 per cent FDI in this sector.

He said a total 35 virgin coal blocks with a combined reserves of about 55 billion tonnes had been allocated to the private sector for captive mining purposes. A total of 25 blocks had been allocated to public sector power generating companies, which would help them to minimise their dependence on Coal India Ltd.

Mr Rao said that coal would continue to play a vital role in the country's energy scene. It would contribute 55 per cent of the country's total fuel requirement for generating power. The demand of coal would grow considerably in conformity with the Prime Minister's commitment to achieving 10 per cent growth in GDP. It was anticipated that the demand would increase to the level of 1,260 million tonnes against the current demand of about 455 million tonnes.

He advised coal companies to introduce modern mining technologies for the speedy augmentation of production. He felt that modernisation in underground mines was urgently required to increase production of high grade coal. The Minister praised the Mining Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India for organising the first Asian Mining Congress where about 700 delegates from 13 countries are participating.

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