Statesman reports that the Orissa government has asked MCL to provide jobs to displaced people. Following are some excerpts from that report.

The state government today directed Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd to provide jobs to all those affected or displaced persons within four weeks and also asked other PSUs ~ NTPC and Nalco ~ to furnish weekly progress reports on rehabilitation measures. The decisions were taken at a high level meeting convened by revenue minister Mr Manmohan Samal here today. …

Mr Samal today directed that all categories of land losers and affected persons ought to be provided with employment within four weeks. Interestingly, he is also believed to have told the Central PSU that they should go by the Land Acquisition Act and not the Coal Bearing Act. The implementation of Coal Bearing Act had created problems since much of the land was notified but lying unacquired physically for several years. In the process, the land owner was unable to either sell or do anything with the land. With regards to employment of affected persons, it is learnt that the contentious issue relates to what is categorised as “C” type affected persons. These were people who had lost their land practically and not their homestead land.