Report by Basant Rath, Nabarangpur: The National Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NMDC) Nagarnar Chattisgarh – a Navratna company, neglecting the adjoining to Odisha villages in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) alleges Local Zilla Nagarika Surakhya O Sachetana Mancha.
Speaking to the media persons Mancha’s Legal Advisor Narshinga Tripathy, said that we apprised the matter in a letter to the Central steel minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, that as per the norms and provision of NMDC, Nagarnar Chattisgarh, more than hundred villages of Odisha’s Kosagumuda block in Nabarangpur district and Kotpad block in Koraput district which are at the radius of 6 KM of the Steel plant and mostly inhabited by the
tribals and backward people should have been included as the benefits
arises of the project.
As part of CSR, NMDC has taken up multifarious initiatives and has implemented several development projects in the focus areas of Chattisgarh like education, cultural development, potable drinking water and sanitation, health care, skill development, livelihoods support, agriculture and infrastructure development etc., in mines exploration areas and other neighbouring areas as part of its
obligation and bordering Odisha villages is completely neglected, Is
this not the prejudice and step motherly attitude meted out to the
villages of the Odisha by the NMDC, Tripathy alleges.
When this steel plant at Nagarnar becomes operational hundreds of
villages under Kosagumuda and Kotpad block will be adversely affected
but no attention is paid at all to these Odisha-Chattisgarh bordering
villages. Till today not a single project included in the CSR
activities under the NMDC, Nagarnarin neither the two blocks nor a
single rupee is spent under any provision for the affected areas.
We also informed that after the construction of dams over the river
Indravati, for Nagarnar project hundreds of villages of the Kosagumuda
and Kotpad blocks of Odisha submerged in rainy season. The inhabitants
of the villages suffer untold miseries and difficulties due to flood.
But no help in any kind is extended to alleviate the plights of the
villagers of Odisha’sKosagumuda block in Nabarangpur district and
Kotpad block area of Koraput district.
For the establishment of the steel plant more than 90 % of raw
materials like sand, boulders, chips, metal, bricks etc. are imported
from Odisha including the labour and masons. However due to the
step-motherly attitude of the NMDC the people in the neighbouring
state of Odisha which are adversely affected and nothing has been done
for our district Tripathy said.
The Mancha demanded to include the peripheral villages of Kosagumuda
block of Nabarangpur district and Kotpad block of Koraput district of
Odisha in the CSR activities under NMDC Nagarnar, for the around
development of the tribals and backward people near to project area.
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