Rourkela: Tension gripped the area during an eviction drive conducted on Tuesday for the proposed expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). Residents of Biju Bandh village resisted the removal of alleged encroachments, leading to a face-off with authorities.
Police Deployment and Detentions
Police were deployed at the site as a precautionary measure. Sources said the eviction drive resulted in a confrontation between villagers and officials, with protesters demanding proper rehabilitation before any clearance. Police intervened to prevent escalation and detained a few individuals for allegedly obstructing the operation. Security was tightened in and around the area. “Twelve platoons have been deployed and the situation is currently under control,” said DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai.
Compensation Package Announced
Tarun Mishta, executive director (HR) of RSP, clarified that the plant does not intend to make anyone homeless. He stated that a family living in a hutment will receive Rs 5.16 lakh as compensation, while a hutment housing four families will get over Rs 20 lakh. In addition, each hutment will be allotted a fully developed 650 sqft plot valued at around Rs 18 lakh, complete with basic amenities.
Expansion Plans and Delays
The eviction drive is part of efforts to clear land required for the proposed expansion of RSP, which has been delayed due to continued resistance by affected communities. The delay has created uncertainty over the plant’s modernisation plan, as availability of land by the end of April is crucial for moving the proposal forward.
RSP has proposed to ramp up its hot metal production capacity from the current 4.65 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 9.8 MTPA at an estimated investment of Rs 30,000 crore. However, the expansion has been held up due to non-availability of land.
Previous Tensions and Meeting
Tension had surfaced earlier in the Bandhamunda area after preliminary work triggered protests. Against this backdrop, a meeting was held at Rourkela House on April 26 to discuss the project and seek cooperation from stakeholders. The meeting was attended by displaced families, Raghunathpali MLA and district planning board chairman Durga Charan Tanti, RSP executive director (HR), additional district magistrate Deenah Dastageer, additional SP Raj Kishore Mishra, and senior officials of the town services department. Residents from Barkani, Jharmunda, and Tangarapali areas also participated.
