BS reported that POSCO India has decided to treat the encroachers squatting on the government land earmarked for its project on a par with the project displaced persons for rehabilitation and resettlement purposes.

If implemented, POSCO’s bonanza for encroachers is expected to create a new trend in the realm of rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected persons in Orissa. Interestingly, the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of the state government is completely silent on any compensation package to the encroachers.

Apart from house for house to the encroachers in the rehabilitation colony, the company has assured them of providing employment in the project work. Similarly, in case of a delay in finding suitable jobs for these people, the company has agreed to pay them a subsistence allowance of about INR 3,000 per month in line with the minimum wage norms of the state government.

According to the preliminary surveys, of the total 466 families going to be displaced by the POSCO project, 232 families are illegal squatters on government land, which amounts to 3,566 acres out of the 4,004 acres required for the project. The encroachments are not concentrated and occur in a scattered manner, dotting a large tract of the project site. Hence, eviction of encroachment is crucial for the company to start construction work.

(Sourced from Business Standards)