NALCO victims of Odisha call on Union Steel & Mines Minister, demand Emplyoment

The Land Losers (Land Affected / Substantial Affected Person’s Association) of NALCO, Damanjodi in the district of Koraput, Odisha met and urged the Union Minister of Steel and Mines hon’ble Narendra Singh Tomar for immediate actions on employment to the land losers as per their qualification.

In the year 1981 the NALCO authorities acquired the land for the construction of Aluminum Company in Damanjodi. The NALCO had given assurance to the land losers at that time of land acquisition that each of the land losers’ family will be given jobs in the NALCO Damanjodi plant. But the NALCO, Damanjodi betrayed the land losers since 1981.

The NALCO authorities neither provided any proper employment to the LAP/SAP people nor taken any steps for the development of the area by establishing any training institutions, schools, colleges etc., and fully deprived their lives. Most of the land losers are belong to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Economic Backward and Uneducated people of Koraput District. Koraput is one of the most backward districts of India and comes under Scheduled Area.

The land losers association started continuous agitation since 2011 and finally in the year 2014 the District Collector of Koraput identified 416 number of land losers (LAP/SAP) of NALCO, Damanjodi for providing employment under rehabilitation scheme. Then after, in the year 2015, that figure was reduced to 235 from 416 under the criteria fixed by the NALCO authority where a person losing one third portion of the total land for employment at NALCO, Damanjodi for the candidates of LAP/SAP families, but in this stage NALCO authorities again framed another criterion for providing the employment.

Whereas, after prolonged discussions it reveals again coming so many time for the same. The land losers demanded suitable jobs individually on the basis of their qualification and eligibility. Educational qualification should not be a criterion fixed by the NALCO authorities for providing jobs as the people of Koraput come under Fifth Scheduled and education is far away from their reach.

Though, the hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha expressed and directed the NALCO administration for providing the suitable posts to the land losers as per their qualification within one month on 27.11.2015. But the NALCO remained silent and deaf and dumb on this matter and the company is not ready to pay the attention of hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha as well.

The apathetic attitude of NALCO towards the land losers’ demand compelled the association to sit in strike again and the strike continued for 98 days. After getting assurance from the House Committee on Submission of Odisha Government the association called off the strike on 17.11.2015. The Committee Chairman assured the association that 235 numbers of substantially affected persons will get job as per their qualification and this is the decision of hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha.

Even, the association approached the Union Petroleum Minister hon’ble Dharmendra Pradhan to interfere on this issue and the Minister Shri Pradhan has already written a letter to Union Mines Minister for providing employment to 235 land losers as per their qualification. Despite all these, the NALCO administration is not ready to pay the single attention on this issue and the company’s indifferent and inhuman attitude towards the land losers are same as before which compels for large scale unemployment and poverty.

The NALCO was selected as “Nabaratna” company, as well as Asia’s Number One commercial income gained complex, whereas our LAP/SAP lives are as usual, there is no difference from 1981 and till date. In this type of environment the land losers are passing through distressed and demoralized and waited for long 35 years for justice in the form of employment and rehabilitation.

In this connection, the Land Affected (Substantial Affected) Person’s Association under the leadership of Youth BJD Leader and Social Activist Mr. Sankar Prasad Duria met the Union Mines Minister again and again for justice and said justice delayed is justice denied. Mr. Duria also urged the Union Mines Minister and demanded proper employment as per land losers qualification and compensation.

NALCO Land Affected (Substantial Affected Person’s) Association President Mr. Bhimadhar Khillo was present in the team and said if their demand is not fulfilled immediately the association will sit in Dharna at Jantar Mantar and will gherao Union Mines Minister’s house soon. In reply, the Union Mines Minister assured the team that definitely justice will be provided to the land loser of NALCO, Damanjodi but have patience for some period of time. The Minister also said already he has spoken to CMD of NALCO and written a letter on LAP/SAP issue.