Keep hands off our land: Dhinkia villagers to IOCL

PARADIP: Villagers of Dhinkia panchayat have decided not to part with their lands for laying of the proposed Paradip-Hyderabad Petroleum Product Pipeline (PHPL) of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL). At a meeting held here on Wednesday to protest land acquisition, the villagers alleged harassment by IOCL authorities.

They alleged that members of displaced families have not been given permanent jobs in IOCL as per the decision taken in the last RPDAC meeting in 2010. Moreover, IOCL has not implemented the R&R policy-2006 of the Odisha Government for rehabilitation of 143 displaced families which are living in pathetic condition, they claimed.

The villagers further alleged that release of effluent from Paradip Refinery is causing pollution in the locality.

Leaves of betel vines in Dhinkia, Trilochanpur, Mahal and other villages are getting damaged due to release of effluent from Paradip refinery. “The industrial waste has contaminated water in most of the tubewells. The project will pose a threat to the livelihood of hundreds of farmers as the betel vines will be demolished for the same,” the villagers said.

“I have received notification from PHPL authority for acquisition of 1.35 acres of land on which I have grown betel vines. I have decided not to give land for the project,” said Sadhu Charan Rout, a villager.
Seeking intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan besides National Human Rights Commission in this regard, the villagers requested for exclusion of land under Dhinkia panchayat from the proposed project.

Protests will be intensified if PHPL acquired their land forcibly, warned samiti member of Dhinkia panchayat Debendra Swain.

As per reports, Land Acquisition Officer of PHPL, Bhubaneswer had served notice to people of Dhinkia on January 4 asking them to be present in his office or send opinions regarding acquisition of land for the project by post within 21 days.

Pipelines Division of IOCL has planned to lay 1150 km long PHPL, originating from Paradip and terminating at Hyderabad, with intermediate pumping-cum-delivery station at Berhampur and Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Vijaywada. The pipeline will be laid for evacuation of white oil products from Paradip refinery to depots in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The initial pipeline length of 91.4 km from Paradip will be laid in existing Right of Way of Paradip-Raipur-Ranchi Pipeline in the  districts of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Puri.

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