THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

PARADIP, JANUARY 29, 2026

The proposed JSW Utkal Steel project in Odisha’s Paradip region has once again brought into sharp focus the long-standing tension between industrial development and political opposition, even as local communities and intellectuals continue to voice strong support for the project. In the Dhinkia-Charidesh area of Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur district — where livelihoods have traditionally depended on fishing and agriculture — the project is increasingly being viewed as a long-awaited catalyst for economic transformation and inclusive growth.

For decades, the region has remained industrially underdeveloped, forcing generations to survive on subsistence occupations and, in many cases, migrate outside the state in search of employment. The memory of POSCO’s entry in 2005 and its eventual exit in 2017 still looms large. However, unlike the uncertainty and economic vacuum that followed POSCO’s withdrawal, the arrival of JSW Utkal Steel has rekindled hopes of sustainable development, long-term employment and improved infrastructure among local residents.

Adding a new dimension to the unfolding narrative, protest meetings resurfaced in Dhinkia on Thursday after a prolonged lull. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das and AICC General Secretary Ajay Kumar Lallu, who addressed the gathering, sharply criticised the administration and announced that the Congress would launch a struggle to “protect people’s rights.” The leaders reiterated their commitment to the Forest Rights Act, asserting that not even an inch of forest land would be handed over without Gram Sabha approval, and declared that a movement would be initiated to reclaim land allegedly taken by companies.

However, the renewed protests also triggered strong reactions from many local people, who accused the Congress of indulging in “crocodile tears” and petty politics. Several villagers and local opinion-makers questioned the timing and intent of the agitation, arguing that political opposition should not come at the cost of employment opportunities and economic progress for an area that has remained on the margins of development for decades.

What has further complicated the situation is the political opposition led by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, which has drawn criticism from local intellectuals who argue that such a stance contradicts both past political positions and present economic realities. They point out that when POSCO entered the region during a Congress-led government at the Centre, similar protests were conspicuously absent, raising questions about consistency and credibility.

Local leadership has highlighted that JSW Utkal Steel has adopted a proactive approach even before the formal commencement of its plant.

According to former Dhinkia Sarpanch Sisir Kumar Mahapatra, the company has already provided employment to around 150 local people and has initiated processes to absorb technically qualified youth as the project advances. Beyond jobs, its CSR initiatives in education, healthcare, infrastructure development, women’s empowerment and farmer self-reliance are beginning to reshape the socio-economic fabric of the region.

Dr. Tamil Pradhan of Nuagaon noted that JSW Utkal Steel has already begun work across three gram panchayats — Nuagaon, Dhinkia and Gadakujang. Recalling that POSCO entered the area in 2005 under a Congress-led government at the Centre, he observed that there was no organised opposition from Congress leaders at that time. He questioned the logic of opposing an industrial project that promises employment, compensation and infrastructure in a region historically deprived of all three, adding that resisting industrialisation while lamenting labour migration from Odisha represents a fundamental contradiction.

Company sources indicate that over 500 people from the three gram panchayats have already been engaged in supervisory, administrative and support roles based on their qualifications, in addition to those employed through contractors. This early engagement, they say, reflects the company’s intent to integrate local communities into the project’s growth trajectory from the outset.

As Odisha continues to position itself as a destination for large-scale industrial investment, the JSW Utkal Steel project has become emblematic of a larger debate — whether development should be viewed through the lens of political confrontation or pragmatic local aspiration. For many people of Paradip’s Dhinkia-Charidesh region, the choice appears increasingly clear: industry, when accompanied by employment generation, social responsibility and local inclusion, is not a threat but a long-overdue opportunity for progress.