Odisha: Cement firm in a spot over acquisition of GP highway

By Express News Service

ROURKELA: The Shiva Cement Ltd (SCL), a subsidiary of JSW Cement, in Sundargarh’s Kutra block is in a spot with Khatkurbahal gram panchayat (GP) workplace falsifying its claims of buying and proudly owning the native highway. In an RTI reply, the GP workplace has stated no Gram Sabha approval was given for handing over the Khatkurbhal-Patrapada panchayat highway to the corporate. Besides, the GP workplace has neither given its assent nor has any information of switch of the highway to SCL.

Incidentally, villagers in May 2021 had opposed SCL’s taking management of the panchayat highway underneath its Khatkurbahal Limestone and Dolomite mines and even clashed with police. A dozen of villagers had been arrested then.Khatkurbahal sarpanch Jhadi Dhanwar, who was amongst these arrested, stated they might transfer the High Court for justice. “It is clear now that Gram Sabha approval was not taken and the GP office was never intimated about any decision to transfer the road to SCL which is illegal,” claimed Dhanwar.

The sarpanch additional stated attributable to false claims of SCL, the villagers had been illegally arrested. He demanded withdrawal of the legal case towards them.However, SCL’s unit head Anil Mishra stated, “We have followed the due process and got lease of the said road from the government. The company has also made an alternate road. Some people with vested interests are creating law and order situation at the mines and impacting operation.”

Mishra insisted that Gram Sabha approval was obtained in 2017 and the corporate was transferred the land 18 months again.After buying SCL, JSW obtained Khatkurbahal mines and began excavation a number of months again. But the corporate continues to face resistance from native villagers. On June 25, villagers had forcibly closed Khatkurbahal mines and on July 12, they clashed with SCL’s safety personnel following which a number of instances had been registered towards them.

Amid persevering with protest, JSW’s proposal for contemporary acquisition of 248.88 acre land at Khatkurbahal and Phalsakani villages for mining growth is gazing uncertainty.The firm web site says SCL is a strategic funding to make JSW Cement a ten million tonne each year (MTPA) participant within the japanese a part of the nation and a 25 MTPA participant throughout India. The SCL is presently investing over Rs 1,500 crore for a 1.36 MTPA clinker unit comprising 1 MTPA grinding unit and related services in Kutra.

ROURKELA: The Shiva Cement Ltd (SCL), a subsidiary of JSW Cement, in Sundargarh’s Kutra block is in a spot with Khatkurbahal gram panchayat (GP) workplace falsifying its claims of buying and proudly owning the native highway. In an RTI reply, the GP workplace has stated no Gram Sabha approval was given for handing over the Khatkurbhal-Patrapada panchayat highway to the corporate. Besides, the GP workplace has neither given its assent nor has any information of switch of the highway to SCL.

Incidentally, villagers in May 2021 had opposed SCL’s taking management of the panchayat highway underneath its Khatkurbahal Limestone and Dolomite mines and even clashed with police. A dozen of villagers had been arrested then.Khatkurbahal sarpanch Jhadi Dhanwar, who was amongst these arrested, stated they might transfer the High Court for justice. “It is clear now that Gram Sabha approval was not taken and the GP office was never intimated about any decision to transfer the road to SCL which is illegal,” claimed Dhanwar.

The sarpanch additional stated attributable to false claims of SCL, the villagers had been illegally arrested. He demanded withdrawal of the legal case towards them.However, SCL’s unit head Anil Mishra stated, “We have followed the due process and got lease of the said road from the government. The company has also made an alternate road. Some people with vested interests are creating law and order situation at the mines and impacting operation.”

Mishra insisted that Gram Sabha approval was obtained in 2017 and the corporate was transferred the land 18 months again.After buying SCL, JSW obtained Khatkurbahal mines and began excavation a number of months again. But the corporate continues to face resistance from native villagers. On June 25, villagers had forcibly closed Khatkurbahal mines and on July 12, they clashed with SCL’s safety personnel following which a number of instances had been registered towards them.

Amid persevering with protest, JSW’s proposal for contemporary acquisition of 248.88 acre land at Khatkurbahal and Phalsakani villages for mining growth is gazing uncertainty.The firm web site says SCL is a strategic funding to make JSW Cement a ten million tonne each year (MTPA) participant within the japanese a part of the nation and a 25 MTPA participant throughout India. The SCL is presently investing over Rs 1,500 crore for a 1.36 MTPA clinker unit comprising 1 MTPA grinding unit and related services in Kutra.