It is reported that TATA Steel, in a high level meeting between its officials and the affected youths, has agreed to provide employment to youths from the displaced and affected families of its shelved Gopalpur steel project in its other facilities in a phased manner.

About 250 youths had received training in Berhampur and Jamshedpur and TATA Steel had promised to rehabilitate them in the steel project. With TATA Steel shelving the project, it has absorbed 100 of them in different TATA group projects, while 150 trained youths are yet to be rehabilitated.

Mr Sanjay Patnaik chief resident executive of TATA Steel said that “We have decided to prepare a panel list of the unemployed youths and will try to rehabilitate them in different projects of the TATA group companies.” He added that the list will be completed by December 2007 and 50 of these youths could be absorbed in January 2008.

It is noted that TATA Steel had acquired about 3,700 acres for setting up a shore based mega steel plant at Gopalpur in 1996. But due to the lack of core facilities and other reasons, it had shelved the project and announced the setting up of a multi purpose special economic zone on the same land.

The Action Committee of TATA Trainers, a panel formed by the unemployed youths, however, said that only 30 to 35 trained youths have been rehabilitated by TATA Steel so far. An unemployed youth said that “With the hope of getting a job in TATA Steel, we had voluntarily vacated our land. But our hopes are dashed after a decade of being displaced.”