Posco not to budge on Orissa project

A day after three of its executives were detained and released by the anti-Posco brigade after 10 hours of captivity in the Dhinkia gram panchayat near Paradip in Orissa, Posco-India has made it clear that it has no intention to shift the site of its 12 million tonne steel project.

"There is no question of shifting the site of the project", said a company spokesman. "We are undaunted and these kinds of hurdles have made us more determined," he said. "With active support of the administration, we will overcome the problem," he pointed out.

Out of three gram panchayats in which the company intended to acquire land, there is sizeable support for the project in Gada Kujanga and Nuagaon panchayats while Dhinkia panchayat, the base of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (anti-Posco forum) is a problem area, according to the Posco official.

"We tried our luck in Dhinkia panchayat yesterday and could not succeed," he said, adding, "We will continue the process of dialogue with the local people for land acquisition in the other two gram panchayats, notwithstanding the incident."

Three employees from the company's site office in Kujanga, about 20 km from Paradip, were detained by the supporters of the anti-Posco forum yesterday when they had gone to Gobindpur village under the Dhinkia gram panchayat to canvass for land acquisition for the project. They were released late in the night yesterday after hectic negotiations between the company officials and the captors.

The hostages were forced to give personal undertakings about not entering the area again to plead for the Posco project and willing to face any punishment given by the villagers if caught again.

When contacted, the president of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, Abhaya Sahu said, "We warn the government, Posco and the district administration not to venture into the area. If they enter, they will be held responsible for any possible consequence". Stating that it is a "battle between the people and the government", he cautioned the company against any direct negotiation with the people for land acquisition.

Posco, which is facing resistance from the local people on the issue of land acquisition and displacement for its project, had recently initiated steps for direct negotiation with the villagers to buy the private land within its site following the government's advice to this effect. The company required 4004 acres land, of which 3566 acres are government land and 438 acres private land.

Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle in which the Posco employees had entered the village, has lodged a FIR with Kujanga police on the incident. PK Meherda, the district collector of Jagatsinghpur, described the situation at the Posco plant site area a day after the incident as peaceful. "We will take action against the culprits at the right time", he told Business Standard.

He said there were many cases pending against the anti-Posco forum leaders, who were inciting violence in the area.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, the state steel and mines minister Padmanabh Behera said the government, in principle, does not want to use force to acquire land for the project. The company is negotiating with the local people for buying land. It is slow process and will take time, he added.

Tough Stand

Out of three gram panchayats in which Posco intended to acquire land, there is sizeable support for the project in Gada Kujanga and Nuagaon panchayats

It is facing resistance in the base of the anti-forum Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, Dhinkia panchayat