C B Singh Rayagada

Nearlytwo decades after the proposed Aditya Alumina project sparked discussions on displacing Biriguda Colony, affected families still await a final decision on their resettlement and rehabilitation benefits.

The long-pending issue came up for discussion at the 5th Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDSC) meeting held at the Zilla Parishad conference hall in Rayagada. The meeting was chaired by the RDC, Southern Division, Brahmapur, and attended by Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, Rayagada Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni, the Koraput Lok Sabha member, MLAs from Koraput and Rayagada districts and members of the RPDSC.

However, the Biriguda rehabilitation issue remained unresolved, with representatives of the affected families insisting that their long-pending demands be settled before they are asked to vacate the colony for project-related requirements. According to a written submission made by Bipin Kumar Mandinga, an RPDSC member and representative of Biriguda Colony, the present settlement has its roots in a government rehabilitation exercise dating back to 1975, when 45 families were reportedly shifted from the original Biriguda village and settled at the present colony.

The families claim that the government subsequently provided agricultural and homestead land to the settlers. While ‘pattas’ were reportedly issued for agricultural land, the families say they were provided documents relating to their homestead land instead of formal ‘pattas,’ leading to the present dispute over their legal and rehabilitation status. Official records placed before the authorities provide a different but complementary picture.

Proceedings of a meeting held on April 17, 2013, in the office of the Sub-Collector, Koraput, recorded that Biriguda Colony was situated over approximately 1.77 acres of government land, classified as Patita, under Khata No. 81 and Plot Nos. 414 and 415 of Biriguda village. A joint inquiry conducted in 2008 had identified 114 families in the colony. By February 2013, the number had increased to 124 households.

The 2013 proceedings recorded that the Aditya Alumina Project authorities considered acquisition of the 1.77 acres necessary for the project and had submitted a requisition for alienation of the government land. The colony representatives, however, demanded that the families be recognised as Displaced Persons (DPs) and extended benefits under the Odisha Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2006.

The issue had already figured in an official meeting held on February 5, 2011, according to the statement submitted by the colony representative. The meeting reportedly discussed rehabilitation of the Biriguda families, including proposals relating to rehabilitation housing and recognition of the families as Displaced Persons. Two years later, the April 17, 2013 proceedings again dealt specifically with the 1.77-acre settlement.

The proceedings recorded that the project authorities had expressed the view that acquisition of the land was necessary and that the families would consequently have to be displaced. The colony representatives maintained that they should receive benefits under the R&R Policy before displacement.

Significantly, the 2013 proceedings recorded that the project authorities agreed to accept the proposal for declaring the families as Displaced Persons and providing employment and other benefits under the Odisha R&R Policy, 2006. Yet, the proposed rehabilitation process did not reach a final settlement.

The matter resurfaced in December 2023, when the Tahsildar, Laxmipur, visited the colony following a direction from the district administration and submitted a report concerning issuance of House Site RORs. The report, dated December 22, 2023, referred to approximately 124 households continuing to reside on the 1.77 acres.

At the RPDSC meeting, the RDC acknowledged the delay in resolving the Biriguda rehabilitation issue and said that a subcommittee would be constituted to expedite the process. The subcommittee will comprise the Collectors of Koraput and Rayagada, the Special Land Acquisition Officer and the Sub-Collectors concerned. It will examine the matter and submit its recommendations within two months. After approval of the subcommittee’s recommendations, the matter will be placed before the RPDSC for a final decision.