Sambalpur: Government of India’s Navratna company NLC India Limited offered outstanding rehabilitation and resettlement packages to the project affected families at its Talabira II &III Coal Blocks in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts. The special package was enthusiastically welcomed by the stakeholders including local villagers. As gesture of gratitude towards the iconic freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, NLC India Limited will develop his birthplace as a tourist destination at Khinda involving Odisha Tourism Department, Sambalpur.
On Thursday, officials of NLC India Limited explained the specially designed rehabilitation and resettlement package to the beneficiaries in presence of the district administration executives. Revised compensation package offered by the company is higher than the prescribed norms under Odisha Resettlement & Rehabilitation Policy, 2006 and Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Families residing at coal blocks will be given significant compensation for their land at a rationalised market value to draw parity among the villages. Eligible families will get pakka houses with 1,067 square feet of super built up area, including cowshed – on 4,400 square feet of plot in newly constructed colonies. To provide sustainable living in lieu of employment, families with eligible adult members will be given lump sum payment in addition to the monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000 with biennial increase of Rs 500, as suggested by the district authorities. In another provision, cash in lieu of employment for category 4, 5 & 6 project affected families has been raised from Rs 3,40,000 to Rs 6,00,000 now.
In yet another first in the state, the rehabilitation package was also designed for settlers / landless people will be provided a housing unit of 300 square feet as per Pradhan Mantri Awass Yojana and ex gratia of Rs 50,000 or equivalent cost of about Rs 6 lakh.
Highlights of record compensation package:
# Higher financial compensation than the prescribed norms by the state government
# Colonies will have roads, drainage, electricity supply, drinking water, schools, Anganwadis, community centres, religious places for worship, cremation grounds, market places, shopping centres, primary health centers, veterinary clinics, ponds, bus stands, Panchayat Ghars, parks and grazing grounds etc
# Houses with column structure will be strongly build
# Those who wish to build houses on their own will be given adequate compensation
# Skill development initiatives for entrepreneurship, technical and professional capacity building. Daily wages in addition to food and transport will be given during the training period.
# Healthcare facilities, solar powered water pumps, renovation of Khinda School, establishment of ITI and old age home etc
# Proposed power projects to ensure uninterrupted power supply to lakhs of households
# Integrated coal mining and power generation project to attract thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities for Odisha
# Plant and maintain close to 26 lakh saplings to further increase green cover in Odisha
“NLC Limited values the contribution of locals in ensuring energy security for the nation and we are committed for their betterment. Sustainable development, environment protection and eco- care are blended into every act of our business. We are confident that proposed package will set new benchmarks for infrastructure & mining projects and it will bring development at the door steps of the far flung rural areas,” NLC senior official said. He thanked local stakeholders and district administration in particular for extending the cooperation and having their faith in NCL India.
Public sector unit NLC India Limited will produce 20 million tonne of coal per annum from Talabira II &III Coal Blocks to fuel its 4,200 MW of thermal power projects. It will enable in electrifying lakhs of households and commercial establishments through 3,200 MW of NLC Talabira Thermal Power Project in Odisha and NLC Tamil Nadu Power Limited’s 1,000 MW project in Tuticorin district. This integrated energy projects will attract one time investments in excess of Rs 20,000 crore and additional investments in phased manner for mining project, which will create job opportunities.
Per capita electricity consumption in India is estimated at around 1100 units a year, which is low than the comparable nations. Among the BRIC nations in 2014, World Bank reported per capita power consumption of Brazil at 2620 units and close to 4000 units in China.
In 2016, government of India allocated Talabira II &III coal blocks to the public sector unit NLC India Limited to fuel its power projects.
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