Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has provided over 27,000 jobs to project-affected people at its four steel plants located at Bhilai, Rourkela, Bokaro and Salem.
Giving this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister for steel, Mr Beni Prasad Verma said the employment of displaced persons is being regulated in terms of guidelines which have been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Minister said the government has not formulated any separate policy for acquisition of land for setting up public sector steel plants.
Around 19,000 families had to be displaced on account of land acquisition for setting up steel plants or mines by SAIL in these areas, Verma said.
The maximum number of displaced families were at Bokaro, in Jharkhand, where 6,019 families had to shift from the project site, followed by 5,684 families at Bhilai, in Chhattisgarh; 4,094 at Rourkela, in Orissa; and 3,002 at Salem, in Tamil Nadu.
“The requisite amount of compensation on account of acquisition of land has been deposited with the respective state governments as rehabilitation of displaced persons is a state subject and the land for setting up of SAIL steel plants was acquired by the respective state governments,” Verma said.
The employment of displaced persons was being regulated by the terms and guidelines set by the Supreme Court of India, in which project-affected people were given preference.
(Reports)
