Displacement threat stares at Sindri residents

SINDRI: As the Sindri fertilizer factory management has started serving notices to unauthorized occupants of factory quarters, the threat of displacement looms large over the residents of this first fertilizer township. Although political parties and organizations are demanding rehabilitation before displacement, neither the factory management nor the SAIL, which is likely to take over the assets of the closed fertilizer factory, is coming forward with concrete plan for rehabilitation.
The township has nearly 6,750 quarters of which nearly 1,200 quarters have been leased to former employees of the factory and nearly 700 quarters allotted to employees of different organizations like banks, post offices, schools and college. According to a survey conducted by the factory management about two years ago, nearly 2,840 quarters are occupied illegally. Many quarters in dilapidated condition are uninhabitable.
Besides, there are nearly 26 small and medium villages situated on the factory land and many shops and other constructions have come up on the factory land in different parts of the town. The factory management, working hard to hand over dispute-free land to SAIL, will have to strive hard to get them vacated.
While residents are worried over possible displacement and are demanding rehabilitation package for all those living in the town for the past five decades, political parties have started thronging the town with elections knocking at the door.
"Local people who are earning their livelihood for generations will not be allowed to be displaced without rehabilitation," said Sindri's JVM-P MLA Phulchand Mandal who demanded that SAIL construct a separate township for those living in the town. "When all the unauthorized occupants of BCCL land in Jharia fire zone can be rehabilitated in separate colonies, why can't those living in Sindri," he asked and said that if the fertilizer factory management had not finalized the lease applications pending before them, it was their failure and not that of the residents. He also demanded that SAIL should come out with concrete plan for providing employment to villages who gave their land for setting up the fertilizer factory.
Sindri town LJP president Birju Prasad and Jharkhand Bachao Sangram Samiti secretary Raju Pandey have also alleged that the factory management was terrorizing the residents by serving notices on them and demanded to rehabilitate all those living in the town.
Surprisingly, no senior official of the factory is ready to say anything on record in this regard. "If the squatters think that they will continue occupying the factory quarters without paying anything, they must be living in fool's paradise," said an official adding that it was around a decade ago the factory was closed and by now all should have made alternative arrangement for accommodation.