The appointment of Mr Sangram Keshari Mohapatra as collector Jagatsinghpur has sparked off discussions that it is aimed at expediting the proposed JSW Steel project work and overcoming the resistance of the villagers in the project site area. Mohapatra had played a key role in trying to expedite land acquisition for the Posco steel plant which was subsequently shelved. The same area is now earmarked for the JSW plant.

Recently, villagers had stalled a survey work of the project and seized all the equipment. The Rs 54,000 crore Posco steel project , billed as the single largest FDI proposal in the country, had been shelved after more than a decade ( from 2005 to 2017) of struggle and stiff resistance by villagers who objected to displacement. The configuration of the 12 million ton Posco project was repeatedly changed and land requirement reduced from 4000 acres to 2700 acres. Yet the project could not progress.

Finally Posco gave up the fight and the acquired land was offered to JSW. In 2013, when Mr Mohapatra was the manager of IDCO, the administration was able to acquire 2700 acres of land.

Last Sunday, the villagers under the banner of Nabeghar Forest Committee and Balishai Forest Committee led by Ajit Prasad Rout had conducted a meeting in Nuagaon village in the presence of JSW officials.

The meeting included HR manager Subash Chandra Pani, project deputy manager Bibhuprad Nanda and other JSW employees.

They collectively agreed to thge proposal gave their signature on written agreement not to start any survey and other work of proposed steel plant of JSW without permission of the villagers.

With Mohapatra’s appointment as Collector , the expectation is that the JSW project will progress. A former DGM of Posco has also joined JSW while a former Tahsildar has also been roped in by the steel company.

Niravya Samantray, a local resident who was in favour of the project said the decision of the state government to appoint Mohapatra as collector of this district would certainly expedite the JSW steel plant work because he is a good administrator and has an extensive work experience at Posco.