Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik today visited Kalinganagar, the upcoming steel hub, in Jajpur district. This is his first visit to the area after the police firing in January, 2006, which claimed the lives of 14 tribals who were agitating against land acquisition by Tata Steel for construction of a 6 million tonne steel plant there.
Ironically, the chief minister inaugurated the newly constructed Kalinganagar Police Station -2 at Ravana square under the industrial complex jurisdiction.
Patnaik addressed a public meeting there after inaugurating the police station building where he did not mention anything about the ongoing agitation by the tribals against land acquisition and displacement.
The chief minister also visited the public sector Nilachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) in the steel hub. He reviewed the progress of its Steel Melting Shop (SMS) and expressed satisfaction over it. “I want to see the SMS operational next year,” he said.
Both the programmes passed off peacefully. Keeping in view the possibility of trouble from Visthapan Virodhi Janmanch (VVJM), which has been spearheading the tribals’ agitation in the area, the district police administration had deployed adequate police force to avoid any incident.
However, VVJM secretary blamed that the CM had no interest in solving the tribals’ problems. “We have been demanding for the CM’s visit to Kalinganagar for the last four years to take stock of the situation. During a talk between CM and VVJM at his secretariat chamber in Bhubaneswar, he had promised to come to Kalinganagar. He came today and returned without any information to us,” said Rabindra Jarika, secretary, VVJM. “It is evident from today’s visit that the CM has no soft corner for the tribals”, Jarika said, adding that they are firm on their earlier stand that they will not allow Tata Steel to construct the steel project at Kalinganagar.
