Bokaro's displaced still await compensation

It's been over four decades since India's first indigenous steel plant was set up in Jharkhand. But the scene near the Bokaro Steel Plant or BSL (the plant was earlier called Bokaro Steel Limited) is no different from what can be seen in other parts of the country—farmers protesting land acquisitions for large industrial hubs and real estate development. People whose land was acquired for the plant can be seen wielding hockey sticks and holding protests. The latest round of protests is against a new steel plant being set up by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), which manages the plant, jointly with the South Korean steel giant, Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO). The joint venture is a Rs 15,000 crore project which initially will produce half a million tonnes steel annually.

Raju Mahto of Kundori village and Ramvilash Singh of Godavali village say they have no choice but to hold protests. It has been 46 years since the plant was set up, but the majority of the residents have not received compensation, alternate land or jobs, they say. “We have lost our agricultural land and face severe pollution. We have been denied jobs even after completing our course at the industrial training centre in Bokaro, which was funded by the steel plant,” say Mahto and Singh. The steel plant refused them jobs, saying there are no vacancies.

About 64 moujas (a mouja may have several villages) had ceded land for setting up the steel plant. As many as 49 villages are disputing the acquisition. While residents of 19 villages are yet to get compensation, rehabilitation or jobs, those in the remaining 20 who were given meagre compensation want more money and jobs.

Old dispute
 
The land dispute between village residents and the authorities dates back to 1956 when the state government notified land for acquisition. Documents state that BSL acquired  over 13,695  hectares (ha). The state government gifted BSL another 1,772 ha.