Deal #604

Some 20,000 people in 10 villages will be affected by the project. Nine of the villages are in Lohandiguda block Badanjee, Belar, Takraguda, Kumhali, Chindgaon, Dhuragaon, Dabpal, Paroda and Beliapal. The tenth, Sirisguda, is in Tokapal block.

recognized but not respected

Hearing in 2009 but no consent The company and the local administration organised a public hearing on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project on October 12, 2009, at the proposed project site in Lohandiguda, and it was attended by Varun Jha, Tata Steel vice-president in charge of the project. on October 12, 2010, the District Collector organised a public hearing on the Collectorate premises to sound out the villagers over the project, and later declared that the project had received overwhelming support from the villagers. The villagers, in fact, organised a parallel public hearing in November 2009 at Badanjee village, where the project was unanimously shot down. They sent copies of the minutes to the Minister for Environment and Forests.

villagers refused to give up their lands

Environmental degradation: diversion of forest land, clearing of trees Socio-economic: tribal farmers and forest-product collectors will loose their livelihood Cultural loss: tribals may loose space for cultural practices Eviction and Displacement: villagers who refuse to leave are forced to leave, some with compensation, some none, and with no relocation plans Violence: threats, coercion, massacres, physical abuses, jail time, made-up crimes are filed

694200000 Rupees. 273500000 are not payed yet (2012). They were initially promised Rs.3.75 lakh to Rs.5 lakh a hectare, and the administration has promised to ensure that they get Rs.25 lakh a hectare. But, Mandavi said, the tribal people would not give up their land, whatever the price. The administration is willing to give land for land in as many cases as possible and give more than Rs.25 lakh a hectare as compensation.

While there was widespread debate among farmers and unrest over the land acquisition process, with activists calling the process exploitative and under duress, 1,165 farmers of the 1,707 farmers whose land was acquired accepted the compensation. The government maintained that the compensation for the rest had been deposited with the revenue deposit fund.