In a move to appease the agitating villagers, Posco-India had announced a rehabilitation package for daily labourers earning their livelihood by working on betel vines or prawn ponds raised illegally on government land in the proposed plant site.
"Though they are not owner of the land but earning livelihood from it, the company decided to rehabilitate them with special package as part of its commitment to the local community,", said company's general manager (external relations) Simanta Mohanty.
There are 1973 betel vines in which about 1000 landless people work as daily labourers, official sources said adding that betel vines were raised over about 300 acre of land in the proposed plant site.
The steel major was likely to spend an estimated Rs21 crore towards payment of compensation to the betel vine owners.
In a public advertisement published in local media, the company suggested the betel vine workers to register their names as affected persons by making applications to the land acquisition office, Jagatsinghpur district.
While owner of betel vines would be given compensation at the rate of Rs7 lakh per acre, the company said that the workers could also get financial benefit from it. Workers were entitled to get 15% of the compensation amount given to the owner.
This apart, the company also assured to provide jobs to workers under project contractors after demolition of betel vines where they used to work.
"The company also announced to provide Rs1,500 per month as unemployment allowance to each worker if delayed in providing jobs under project contractors", the advertisement said.
The workers attached to betel vines would be provided with identity cards which would enable them to get jobs under project contractors.
Similarly, it said that while Rs1 lakh would be given on every acre of prawn pond, Rs75,000 was earmarked per acre of land under paddy cultivation.
The people, who would lose their fruit orchards like coconuts and others would be given compensation according to the state government's estimation, it said adding that the company was committed to welfare of all the sections of the people to be affected by its Rs51,000 crore mega steel project near Paradip.
Though the company signed MoU with the state government way back on June 22, 2005, it failed to acquire land for the purpose due to opposition from villagers and labourers working in several betel vines.
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