The Odisha government will soon roll out a new Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy aimed at safeguarding the interests of people displaced by land acquisition for coal mining and industrial zones. The move followed a high-level meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari, who reviewed displacement in districts such as Angul, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Sambalpur that have been heavily impacted by mining and thermal power projects. He urged officials to prioritise humane outcomes as development proceeded.

The minister directed officials and companies to ensure proper rehabilitation and resettlement of affected families, including fair compensation, employment opportunities and access to welfare measures. He instructed that government land should be prioritised for projects and that private land acquisition should be used only as a last resort. Authorities were asked to plan residential colonies for displaced communities in developed areas to reduce long-term vulnerability.

Addressing environmental concerns, the minister highlighted pollution caused by fly ash transportation and asked for stricter monitoring, limited transport timings and the use of covered trucks or containers to limit particulate spread. He recommended adopting scientific methods such as underground pipelines for fly ash disposal and suggested night-time transportation with safeguards to minimise public inconvenience and road congestion. Officials were warned that unchecked pollution and unsafe disposal would invite legal action.

The meeting included senior officials from the Revenue department and the State Pollution Control Board, and representatives of Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), with district collectors joining virtually. The government said it will review existing land acquisition challenges and explore reforms through advisory committees to ensure development remains inclusive and humane and does not displace the poor to benefit the privileged. Further implementation details were left to departmental planning and company compliance overall.