Around 120 displaced villagers who lost their land for the establishment of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) Limited in Angul have alleged that the company has neglected them for decades. With neither NALCO authorities nor the district administration addressing their grievances, the aggrieved villagers said they were compelled to move the Orissa High Court seeking justice.

According to the petitioners, NALCO acquired land in 1981 in the undivided Dhenkanal district to set up its plant, covering 39 villages under Talcher, Chhendipada, and Angul Assembly constituencies. In 1984, NALCO formulated a rehabilitation policy for the displaced families, classifying them into two categories — fully displaced and partially displaced families. The company’s 1992 report noted that a total of 2,626

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