 "Anti-Posco brigade hold protest rally")
The protest meet was supported by leaders of six political parties and anti-displacement leaders in the presence of the kin of three victims who were killed in a bomb blast on last Saturday.
Anticipating trouble during the rally, the Jagatsinghpur district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Crpc (Code of Criminal Procedure-1973) at Patana and deployed 12 platoons of police forces.
District collector Satya Kumar Mallick said, "Our two teams conducted land acquisition process peacefully by dismantling 11 betel vines and paying compensation of Rs 16 lakh to betel vine losers".
Satyabrat Bhoi, superintendent of police said, "No untoward incident has taken place. Police personnel were keeping a close vigil".
Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-Posco activists including women, kids, social activists and political party leaders from six opposition parties attended the rally under the banner of PPSS. The rally was attended by CPI state secretary Dibakar Nayak, CPI legislator Adikanda Sethy, CPM leader Abhiram Behera, Rabi Behera from Samajwadi party, Hemant Kumar from RJD, Santosh Mitra from Forward Block as well as Congress leaders Umesh Swain, Sibananda Ray, Ashok Samal, Jayant Biswal and the party legislator Surendra Parmanik.The protesters criticized the state government for acquiring land forcibly for the Posco project and filing case against PPSS leader Abhaya Sahu. They also demanded payment of compensation to the victims of bomb blast.
CPI state secretary, Dibakar Nayak slammed the district administration for carrying on land acquisition at a time when the death of the three persons was being mourned by their family members. "We have decided to hold an all party meeting to demand inquiry into bomb explosion mystery", he added.