JSW Provides Over Rs 1 Cr To Betel Vine Farmers In Odisha’s Dhinkia Amid Tension, Oppn Criticism

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Jagatsinghpur: JSW on Saturday provided financial assistance of more than Rs 1 crore to 126 betel vine owners of Gobindpur village in Dhinkia, the site of its proposed steel plant.

They were provided Rs 17,500 per decimal.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the area on Saturday, a day after police and villagers opposing the demolition of betel vines clashed, leaving several injured on both sides. A large contingent of policemen has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

Six persons, including former panchayat member Debendra Swain, arrested after the clashes, were forwarded to court on Saturday.

While several villagers say they were in favour of the plant and that outsiders were fomenting violence, a section of villagers have alleged that the district administration was demolishing the betel vines forcibly.

The Odisha Congress also attacked the BJD government over the police action in Dhinkia. Under the hashtag #JusticeForDhinkia, Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra, state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik and AICC in-charge (Odisha) Dr A Chellakumar slammed the Naveen Patnaik government over the police action against villagers in Dhinkia.