Five political parties stage protest against land acquisition
Tension prevailed on Monday at the proposed Posco project site at Gobindpur village under Dhinkia panchayat as ten platoons of armed police conducted flag march ostensibly to create a fear psychosis among the local people ahead of the land acquisition process at trouble-torn Dhinkia panchayat.
The situation is going to very critical at Gobindpur as the activists of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the anti-Posco outfit opposing the proposed steel plant of South Korean firm today had a face-off with the police.
In a parallel protest, activists of five political parties- CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) staged a dharana in the city to oppose the land acquisition work of Posco.
Meanwhile, top officials of the state government are set to meet tomorrow at the state secretariat to discuss the modalities of renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Posco India. The meeting, to take place at the Chief Secretary level, will not have Posco India authorities who are likely to be invited later for talks to finalize the terms of MoU renewal.
PPSS activists including women and children who had formed a human chain as barricade for the past five days on the outskirts of Gobindpur have strongly protested the entry of officials and police to Gobindpur to conduct land acquisition work.
The activists, carrying swords, canes and other weapons, had a face-off with about 500 armed policemen accompanying the officials to Dhinkia village, police said, adding that both sides were positioned barely 400 metres from each other.
More From This Section
District superintendent of police S Debdatta Singh said, “Police patrolling is going on at Nuagaon and Gobindpur border, 400 metres from the base of anti-Posco activists to conduct land acquisition process smoothly and to keep vigil on the entry of suspected persons to Dhinkia site.”
Meanwhile, PPSS leader Abhaya Sahu united thousands of villagers including women and children at Gobindpur to oppose the land acquisition work there at any cost.
"Villagers were ready to lay down lives opposing the land acquisition process and women & children will be at the fore front to oppose it," Sahu said.
"We are ready to face the police repression,” said Manorama Khatua, a woman activist.
However, there was no untoward incident or any opposition by villagers or anti-Posco activists during land acquisition process at Nuagaon, sources said.
Project Director (rehabilitation & resettlement), Surjeet Das said, “The district administration had decided to conduct land acquisition work from today or tomorrow at Gobindpur but the process may be deferred for another two to three days as the real situation and the basic problems have not been ascertained till today.”
Despite tension, revenue officials conducted land acquisition work at Nuagaon with peacefully by demolishing 50 betel vines and disbursing compensation of Rs 84 lakh to the beneficiaries.
On the other hand, many villagers of Nuagaon have alleged that officials have demolished their betel vines forcibly and at the threat of gun point.