Halting of land acquisition work at the Posco project site is not on account of the directive from Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to this effect, but because of unavailability of survey staff who have gone on leave, says the Jagatsinghpur district administration.
The MoEF on Friday had asked the Orissa government to stop all project related work, including land acquisition, on the basis of recommendations of the National Forest Right Act Committee headed by N C Saxena which was probing into allegations of Forest Rights Act (FRA) violation at the Posco site.
On Saturday, the district administration discontinued the marathon ten day long exercise during which it had surveyed and pulled down about 100 betel vines on government land clearing 15 acres of land for acquisition.
District Collector, Narayan Chandra Jena said, Posco survey and land acquisition have stopped at Gadkujang panchyat not because of the MoEF missive. It has been discontinued for two days as the survey staff, deputed by Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa (Idco), have gone on leave.
The state government will take a decision on whether to continue the survey or halt it on Monday, he added.
However, sources said, the survey has been stopped for an indefinite period due to fear of escalation in tension and protest by the anti-Posco brigade whose morale has been boosted by the MoEF order.
The direction of the MoEF has brought cheers to the anti-Posco villagers in three panchayats of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadkujang, comprising the project site, because they feel they would now get back the forest land on which they had cultivated betel vines while keeping the compensation amount already distributed to them.
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Bhaskar Swain, convener of Bhita Mati Surakshya Janmanch, a recently formed pressure group, criticized the administration for acquiring land from the traditional forest dwellers forcibly.
Tahsildar, Kujang, Basudev Pradhan said, during the ten day long survey, which had started from 27th July, 15 acres of land, which was under occupation of villagers who had cultivated betel vine on it in Gadkujang panchyat, has been cleared for acquisition after demolition of the vines and payment of compensation of Rs 1.50 crore to the beneficiaries. He said, 161 betel vines were surveyed and out of these 100 vines were demolished with the consent of villagers.
President of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti, Abahya Sahoo thanked the Union Minister of Environment, Jairam Ramesh, and the National Forest Rights Act Committee for giving a big blow to the state government's initiative to push forward the Posco project, which has been hanging fire for last five years, by violating the FRA and not following the procedures.
Anti-Posco brigade holds victory rally
Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, spearheading the agitation against the Posco project, today observed “Victory Day” at the project site in the wake of direction of from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to the state government for stopping all project related work, including land acquisition for this mega venture. The celebration was marked by rallies by anti-Posco brigade in three panchayats of Dhnikia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang which congregated at Balitutha, the entry point to the project site.
Addressing the gathering, the PPSS leaders Abhay Sahoo and Sisir Mohapatra criticized the state government for undertaking land acquisition for the project in violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and thanked the Centre for passing strictures against the local administration. They demanded cancellation of the forest clearance granted to the project, probe by CBI into the allegations of Forest Rights Act violation by the state government and filing of cases against the district officials who were involved in the land acquisition work in violation of FRA.