MALKANGIRI: The district administration conducted a public hearing for environmental clearance of the proposed Dalmia cement factory at Kattamateru within Motu tehsil limits on Saturday. Nearly 250 people from the various affected villages of Mattapakka, Niliguda and Sikhpally attended the meeting. They extended their conditional support to the cement factory while voicing demands like employment, healthcare, road connectivity and other facilities for land losers.
Irma Madkami of Purnaguda village stated that many affected villagers, especially those who are illiterate, want assurance that their demands will be met once the project gets clearance. Another youth Anand Sodi of Orkelguda village said, “The project will be beneficial for the people only if unemployed youths get jobs at the factory. The company must address our core issues like health, employment and education.” Anand also demanded setting up of mobile towers and ambulances for the villagers.
Addressing affected villagers, deputy executive director of Dalmia Cement SK Rout said clarified all issues have been clarified. The company will soon set up two Jio towers for mobile connectivity and provide ambulance service for villagers. “We will go ahead with people’s support and do the needful for villagers,” he said. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 3 million tonne.
The hearing was conducted in presence of ADM Birasen Pradhan, Pollution Control Board regional officer Prashant Kar and Rout. Around 20 platoons of police were deployed around the venue. Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited got the bid for Kattamateru limestone mine after a tender was floated by Odisha government earlier. The plant will be set up over 801.171 hectare (ha) land. According to Malkangiri DFO Pratap Kottapalli, 462 ha forest land including 186 ha of protected forest and 276 ha revenue forest land will be affected.
