Compensation and Resettlement
The Project will require relocation of about 40, 000 people including about 2,300 ethnic minority people in phases over a period of 15-20 years. Project’s Resettlement Plan has been prepared complying international best practices to protect the right of the affected people. The Plan ensures that all project impacts are well managed and mitigated and all project affected people, both title holders and non-title occupants, receive full, fair and timely compensation and rehabilitation support so that their living standards are improved and livelihoods restored or improved.
The Principles underpinning the Project’s Resettlement Plan are:
The process will be prompt, fair and transparent.
There will be no displacement of affected people prior to proper compensation and rehabilitation measures
There will be a choice of resettlement options, i.e. in the project designated village sites, new township and/or the area of own choice.
All project affected people (irrespective of legal entitlements) will be entitled to fair, proper and adequate compensation and rehabilitation support.
Compensation will be at full replacement value (i.e. market value plus transaction costs) of the property and provided prior to the date on which they must relocate.
Compensation will be paid for temporary losses of regular income and shifting and displacement allowance along with compensation for land and other assets.
There will be a modern planned new town and village sites with power, water supply and sanitation, education and medical facilities. Resettlement site will be ready prior movement of people.
House owners will be given a house built by the Company in a Project Resettlement Site with improved facilities or cash compensation at market value to buy a house elsewhere.
Squatters/landless will be provided with adequate housing with title at a Project Resettlement Site so that the Project can ensure that they do not face the risk of forced eviction in the future or help to find accommodation with legalised tenancy elsewhere.
Additional rehabilitation allowances for vulnerable groups such as ethnic minority people, those below the poverty line, women headed households, the elderly and disabled.
There will be independent monitoring system in place to monitor resettlement and rehabilitation implementation.
A Social Investment Fund to promote and support livelihood diversification and improvement initiatives.
A dedicated Resettlement Development Division in order to implement the rehabilitation and resettlement activities smoothly.
Project’s livelihood restoration program includes training and preferential employment which will maximise benefits for local community. This will allow them to access the estimated 20,000+ new jobs (direct and indirect) that will be created by the mine and associated industries.