HC issues notices to Centre, state govt and Posco India on PILs filed by affected villagers
Land acquisition work for the Posco project suffered a setback on the third day today due to non-cooperation of the villagers who backed out of the process as a mark of protest over the arrest of 32 activists of United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco outfit on Thursday.
Faced with the resistance of the locals, the Jagatsinghpur district administration has decided to postpone the process till Monday.
Meanwhile, in another development in this raging issue, the Orissa High Court (HC) today served notices on the state government, Government of India and Posco India authorities to submit a detailed report in response to two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in the court alleging the violation of Forest Right Act (FRA) and illegal land acquisition at the proposed Posco site by May 24.
The PILs were filed in the Orissa HC by the villagers of Gobindpur and Nuagaon, demanding the stoppage of land acquisition work for the Posco project. A division bench comprising Chief Justice V Gopal Gowda and Justice B N Mohaptra issued the notices after a preliminary hearing on the PILs. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for May 25.
“Land acquisition process has been severely affected for two days due to non-cooperation of villagers as a result of which only two betel vines were demolished today. Land acquisition work would not be carried out for the next two days (Saturday and Sunday)”, said Murlidhar Swain, block development officer (Ersama).
Hundreds of villagers, including the activists of UAC led by its president Anadi Rout, sat on dharna at Gadkujang today protesting land acquisition and the arrest of 32 UAC activists who were fighting for their demands.