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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/08/15/stories/2009081551550200.htm)
Other States
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Orissa
Sarpanches put NALCO on notice
Correspondent
Setting up of skill development centre demandedProper health care facility urged for people
KORAPUT: NALCO Peripheral Development Committee (NPDC) of Damanjodi in Koraput district has warned to plough and cultivate paddy in each and every bit of land in the NALCO township if their long standing demands were not met.
The committee with the sarpanches of 13 panchayats adjacent to the NALCO plant in Damanjodi as members had met under the leadership of Bijay Kumar Muduli, sarpanch of Mathalput and president of the committee at Mathalput on Thursday. While alleging that the company authorities and the government had played with the sentiments of the affected people, the committee has asked the NALCO authorities to look into their demands within a week’s time failing which at least 20,000 people from scores of villages of the 13 panchayats would enter the township and plough with their cattle in the NALCO park and even in the gardens of residential quarters of the township, Mr.Muduli said.
Demands
Among other demands, the committee has also demanded for the provision of proper health care facility for the people in the 13 peripheral panchayats on par with the employees of the company. While children of the employees in the company enjoyed quality education in the schools set up in the township with the support of the company there was no reason why children of the affected people fail to get education in these schools, Damodar Jani, secretary of the committee wondered.
There should be a reservation of at least 25 per cent seats in these institutions at free of cost for the children of these panchayats, he added. Further alleging over the ill representation of youth from the region in the company, he said that only 5 per cent of the total employees in the Rs.4,000 crore project were from the affected region. NPDC has now demanded for the establishment of a basic skill development training centre by the company for the unemployed youth of the region at Damanjodi who could later be absorbed on priority basis by the company. Debendra Turuk, Joint Secretary of the committee ,while criticising the role of the MPs and MLAs of Koraput district for the lack of development in the region, he said that irrespective of their party lines every one of them had betrayed the hopes and aspiration of the affected people of the region.
In the Rehabilitation Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting which sits every year to decide the utilisation of the periphery fund of the company, these leaders had failed in bringing development to the region even though they had the scope of participating in the planning process.
The committee, further realising the need for having representation from the region in the annual meeting has demanded for including the sarpanches of the 13 panchayats as members in the RPDAC.
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