JEYPORE/KORAPUT: Tribals of five blocks in Koraput on Thursday said they did not agree to land acquisition offer for Centre’s ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana passing through the district. Participating in the public hearing organised by the district administration, people of Borrigumma, Koraput, Damantpur, Semiliguda and Potangi demanded proper rehabilitation package including land for land, existing value of proposed land to be acquired and jobs for land losers.
The tribals said they would not agree to the value proposed by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for land to be acquired in these five blocks.
Since the road project would pass through urban pockets, the value of land must be fixed accordingly.
Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati also pitched in for adequate compensation for people likely to be affected by Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The project envisages a 365 km four-lane national highway which will be constructed from Raipur in Chhattisgarh to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The legislator said since tribals value their land more than anything, the NHAI must pay `30 lakh per acre of land acquired for the project. Justifying the demand, he said the project will cause air and sound pollution in the affected areas. It will also push tribals to the brink of poverty unless they are compensated well for their land.
He also strongly opposed the highway plan which will pass through the model college of Semiliguda. Around 125 km of the highway will pass through 58 villages in Borrigumma, Koraput, Dasmantpur, Semiliguda and Potangi blocks of Koraput district.
The under-construction model college at Semiliguda will be demolished to pave way for the highway. Bahinipati said authorities should spare the institution by changing alignment of the highway keeping in mind the future of students.
The public hearing was organised by the district administration at the Government High School in Jeypore. People likely to be affected by the project attended the meeting and sought adequate compensation and jobs. They refused to give away their land at the prices quoted by the government.
Koraput ADM, Deben Pradhan assured the locals that their demands will be presented before NHAI. Officials of NHAI and Odisha State Pollution Control Board were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, members of Bharatmala Jami Surakhya Manch under Bahinipati’s leadership submitted a memorandum to NHAI authorities through Collector Madhusdan Mishra. The NHAI has already completed the survey for the project but land acquisition is yet to start.