By Our Correspondent/www.indusvalleytimes.com
Bhubaneswar: Janata Vikash Manch, a leading forum of intellectuals have demanded that the Orissa government should come out with all the details on how many MoUs have been signed and how many have been materialized in the last ten years i.e. between the calendar year 2000 to the calendar year 2010. They should come out with all the details on how many will lose their land and livelihood and how many jobs will be created through these MoUs.
The Saxena Committee and Meena Gupta Committee report on Posco project in Jagatsinghpur and Saxena Committee on Vedanta project at Niyamgiri and Odisha High Court order on Vedanta University land issue show that the ecological impact of these plants needs to be properly assessed by the independent authorities before giving clearances to any project.
While interacting with the media persons here recently, the JVM members Sai Prasan, Pritikant Panda, Devi Prasad Tripathy, P. Deepti Rani and Manoj Jena told reporters here today that Odisha government may resolve the problems it is facing in projects like Posco, Vedanta and other projects. It should take the people of the area into confidence and democratically sort out the issues in a transparent manner. The rule of law should prevail. It may hold referendum too, if necessary, to seek a public opinion in the project affected areas like it has been done in the RIL’s SEZ project in Rayagada district of Maharashtra.
The JVM Team said that only paying the compensation to the people against their land and offering them jobs may not be enough. Apart from this, the state government should explore other options too. The valuation of the land can be done. And, the value of the cost of the land can be converted into an equity which can also make the land owners shareholders / stakeholders in the project. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) can be created for this purpose.
The political leadership both at the Union and Odisha government/s should rise above the party lines and work together to resolve all the issues concerning these projects in interest of the people of the state. They should follow the rule of law and work in a democratic and transparent manner in the interest of the state, they said.
JVM members Sai Prasan, Pritikant Panda, Devi Prasad Tripathy, P. Deepti Rani and Manoj Jena said that Odisha government should come out with a White Paper on the Industry containing all the facts and figures in the last Ten Years.
The industrial scenario of the state in the last one decade clearly shows that few people have got jobs and more people have lost their livelihood. Hence, the development of the agriculture sector is necessary for the development of the 85% of the population living in rural Odisha. However, the continuous suicides of the poor farmers shows the health of the agriculture sector is also not good. The Farmers Commission has submitted its interim report.
JVM members Sai Prasan, Pritikant Panda, Devi Prasad Tripathy, P. Deepti Rani and Manoj Jena said that it needs to address several important issues in its final report to be submitted in February or March next year. The farmers are mainly committing suicides, recently two in Balasore, due to the higher interest rates, weak irrigation facility and absence of the land Patts to the poor farmers as they are not able to avail the benefit offered by the governmental agencies.
They said that the state government should release the Draft final report of the Farmers Commission in the public domain and seek the opinion of the various stakeholders including farmers. It should finalise the report only after taking the opinion, suggestions and comments of the people. And, immediately take all measures for the development of the agriculture sector.
JVM members Sai Prasan, Pritikant Panda, Devi Prasad Tripathy, P. Deepti Rani and Manoj Jena said that currently, Naveen Patnaik is in New Delhi to meet PM. He should forcefully ask Dr Manmohan Singh to announce a special package for the farmers of Odisha, the way PM had earlier announced for the farmers of Maharashtra and now assured the AP farmers of similar package. Similarly, the state CM should settle all the disputes between the Centre and State amicably, they said.
The farmers have committed suicides because of their inability to repay higher interest rates. The state government should ensure that the micro-finance companies do not charge higher interest rates.
They said that like Andhra Pradesh government, Odisha should also make a law to cap the interest rate charged by the non-banking channels including the micro-finance institutions (MFIs).
JVM members Sai Prasan, Pritikant Panda, Devi Prasad Tripathy, P. Deepti Rani and Manoj Jena said that Odisha government should take special measures to strengthen the banking network in the state. It should ask the Union finance ministry to recommend RBI to direct all the banks – private, public sector and multi-nationals – to open new branches in rural Odisha.
The state government should take special measures to develop agro-industries in the state which will help in generating employment in the state.
Odisha government should also make all the information regarding the mining scam public and book all the guilty responsible. Similarly, it should take criminal action against those who are involved in the MGNREGS Scam.
In reply to a question, JVM Team said that Odisha government should be democratic and transparent in its functioning in the year 2011. And, it should make the entire government accountable and responsible to the people of Odisha
