The Odisha Government has issued a notification for acquisition of required land for the proposed big-ticket 24 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) capacity ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) project in coastal pockets of Kendrapara district.

The notification was issued by the Odisha Revenue & Disaster Management Department under Section-8 (2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act), an official said on Saturday.

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The copies of the public notifications were put up in the Panchayat offices of Ramnagar, Kharinasi and Batighar Gram Panchayats for the acquisition of 1281 acres of land at Badatubi, Barakolikhola and  Nipania  villages under Batighar Gram Panchayat, Ramanagar and Banabihari villages under Ramanagar Gram Panchayat and six villages  under Kharinashi Gram Panchayat.

Earlier in December 2023, the government held Gram Sabhas in all the three Gram Panchayats. Land will be acquired by the government-run Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), which will later transfer the acquired land to the steelmaker. All the displaced villagers will be awarded proper compensation as per the law, said Manas Ranjan Tripathy, the Tehsildar of Mahakalapada.

The previous BJD government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel on 3 March 2021 for setting up of the mega steel venture.

“We are hopeful that the villages will be developed due to the steel plant. However the government needs to ensure that the locals are adequately compensated and given jobs,” said Bijay Shukla, Vice Chairman  Mahakalapada block and the Panchayat Samiti member of Ramnagar Gram Panchayat.

“We are not against the establishment of a steel plant in our Panchayat. But we seek Rs 50 lakh as compensation per acre of our land,” said Milan Debanath, the Sarapanch of Ramnagar Gram Panchayat.

“Kendrapara district has no big industries. We are delighted after ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel decided to build a steel plant in our area. We are optimistic that the local youths will get employment after the construction of the steel plant,” said Narayan Haldar, the former Sarapanch of Kharinashi Gram Panchayat.