Amid opposition from a section of villagers, domestic steel major JSW on Thursday, launched a socio-economic survey in the proposed Integrated Steel Plant (ISP) site in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.
The exercise would cover about 4,000 people in Polang, Nuagan, Dhinkia, Govindpur, Mahala, and Patana villages, a statement issued by the company said.
The survey began in collaboration with Xavier Institute for Management Studies, Bhubaneswar (XIMB).
It aims to capture immediate action points in sync with project activities such as employment potential, likely options for local procurement of materials, hiring of equipment and other services in the pre-project phase of the proposed steel plant to be set up at an investment of Rs 55,000 crore.
The intent is to strengthen the socio-economic fabric of the locality by generating economic opportunities for individual households in the affected villages, chief operating officer (COO) of JSW Steel, Odisha operations, Ranjan Nayak, said.
“We are taking the overall development in domains of employment, public health and primary education in the locality very seriously, and this survey is a sure step in this direction,” he said.
This initiative would help the company identify youth with past experience of working in the mining, metals or steel sector, and assess their skill level, the statement said.
Contractors in various domains such as civil, electrical, material suppliers and households having commercial vehicles would also be tracked by this extensive survey, it said.
The three-month-long study would involve preparatory activities and physical surveys in the first two months, followed by the data analysis and internal sharing of findings in the last month.
Meanwhile, of the 175 applications received for the position of village level coordinators in the first phase, interviews were conducted for 88 candidates from Nuagaon, Gobindapur, Patana, Mahala, Dhinkia and Polanga village.
After due procedure, 25 candidates, of whom 60 per cent are women, have been selected,
Meanwhile, ex-panchayat samiti member of Dhinkia GP and ‘Jindal Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (JPSS)’ leader Debendra Swain alleged that the state government is dividing people to favour the company.
