Katikela villagers ends twelve hours dharna in front of main gate of Vedanta Plant of Jharsuguda , after written assurance from the company

NFTV:Odisha:Jharsuguda: The villagers of Katikela, which is an affected village of  Vedanta plant in Jharsuguda of Odisha, had sat on 12-hours dharna and blocked the main gate of the plant demanding rehabilitation, permanent jobs for the displaced villagers and asked the company authority to take effective measures for abatement of  air pollution caused by fly ash on Tuesday . More than 50 residents of the affected village of Katikela who were agitating included small kids and old aged women as well; they started dharna in front of the main gate of the company thereby blocking the movement company officials and staffs for over 12 hours till the company issued a written assurance to the agitating villagers that by January 30th, 2021 the rehabilitation would be resolved with each family getting a plot from a land of 19.02 acres demarcated for the rehabilitation for Katikela villagers. But the company is silent over the issue of permanent jobs and pollution abatement measures in their written assurance in hand written in Odia on the  company letter pad jointly signed by officials of district administration, company officials and agitating villagers.
Earlier, in 2017 as well Vedanta had similarly signed a tripartite agreement between  villagers and administration in the district collectorate conference hall. But today, the villagers who were agitating and demanding in front of main gate alleged that they were not included in the list prepared in 2017 for benefitting the people to be displaced. The agitating villagers spoke to NFTV , that if the company fails to fulfil its written assurance by 30th of January, then they would stop the dumping of fly ash into the ash pond situated at their village Katikela.