Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Strict enforcement of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) measures for individuals displaced by land acquisition in coal-bearing districts was emphasized at a high-level review meeting on Tuesday, which was presided over by Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. The meeting also directed tighter regulation of fly ash transportation to reduce pollution. Land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement concerns related to mining and thermal power projects in the districts of Angul, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, and Sambalpur were discussed during the conference, which took place at Lok Seva Bhavan.
Concerned about the pollution that fly ash transportation causes, the minister ordered that all vehicles be covered or gradually replaced with containers, and that ash-laden trucks only move during specific hours, preferably at night. State Pollution Control Board field staff were requested to increase surveillance and guarantee adherence to environmental regulations. In order to lessen reliance on fly ash transportation by road, Pujari also advocated for scientific disposal techniques, such as subterranean systems. He threatened to take severe legal action against unlawful dumping and behaviors that endanger the environment.
Regarding land acquisition, the minister directed Mahanadi Coalfields Limited to guarantee the issuing of land pattas and the appropriate rehabilitation of local displaced households. He emphasized that private land acquisition should only be utilized as a last option and that government property should be given priority for industrial development. Businesses were instructed to guarantee equitable remuneration, local job possibilities, and welfare programs for impacted areas. The minister said that the government supports vulnerable and displaced individuals, saying that “development cannot come at the cost of people’s safety and dignity.”
The meeting also decided to revisit land acquisition norms, including exclusion of non-coal-bearing areas from the CB Clause through the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC), and to prioritise acquisition of land already rendered uninhabitable due to mining or industrial activity.
