Odisha Govt Cancels Proposed Beer Factory In Dhenkanal Village

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday ordered for cancellation of the proposed beer factory at Balarampur village in Dhenkanal district.

The directive of the Chief Minister came on the basis of the report submitted by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC).

Following outcry at Balarampur village followed by the uproar by the Opposition in the State Assembly over the felling of hundreds of trees in Jhinkaragadi forest on November 17, the Chief Minister had asked the district administration to immediately stop the work, the following day, and directed the RDC to probe into the matter and submit a report to the state government.

The district administration had begun the tree-felling in the forest in the presence of six platoons of armed police force despite stiff protests by the villagers. Police later detained 20 women of the village.

Following the incident, a delegation of the Congress and BJP went to the village on November 18 and interacted with the people.

Raising the issue in the State Assembly on Saturday, the BJP and the Congress lambasted the state government for its double standards in the afforestation schemes and condemned the coercive action of the police and the district administration on the people of Balarampur village.

The Congress on Monday had brought an adjournment motion notice in the House for a discussion on this issue. However, a discussion could not be held as the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm following protest by the treasury bench against the Centre for slashing the Post-Matric scholarship fund for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) of the state. 

The Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone of the proposed beer factory through video conferencing on November 3.

The construction of the proposed factory on 600 acres of land was scheduled to begin on November 8.