Rourkela: Sundargarh MP and Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram met Union steel minister H D Kumaraswamy in New Delhi on Tuesday and sought a high-level review meeting to expedite rehabilitation commitments for tribal families displaced by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) expansion.Oram submitted two separate representations to the steel minister, raising concerns over pending rehabilitation measures promised during land acquisition. He said affected families were assured employment for one eligible member per displaced family, allotment of 10 decimals of land for rehabilitation, and financial assistance of Rs 15 lakh.In his letter, Oram thanked Kumaraswamy for supporting the RSP expansion, but flagged growing anxiety among displaced families awaiting implementation of the package. He requested the steel minister to convene a review meeting with senior officials from the ministry of steel, SAIL, the Odisha govt and other concerned authorities, and to set a clear timeline for completion of pending commitments. Oram also urged early transfer of Rourkela airport to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for 4C expansion. In a separate letter, he thanked the minister for support in securing SAIL board approval for the handover and sought intervention to complete the remaining formalities so AAI could begin development work without delay.SAIL chairman and managing director Ashok Kumar Panda was present during the meeting. SAIL’s board recently approved the transfer of Rourkela airport to AAI.
