Police on Saturday fired rubber bullets and teargas shells at Balitutha to evict protesters, mostly women and children, opposing the setting up of POSCO steel plant, leaving 30 people injured. The police had ordered the 1000-odd protesters opposing land acquisition to leave but had to crack down when 50 crude bombs were thrown at them, said Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Debadutta Singh. However, he did not reply to allegations that the temporary camps of protesters were set ablaze by the police.
The protesters under the banner of CPI-backed Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) have been staging a dharna at Balithutha since January 26, blocking entry to the area. Prohibitory orders were clamped around Balitutha, 20 km from here, and around 1,500 policemen deployed as part of Orissa government’s efforts to begin forest survey and land acquisition at the plant site. Police used baton, teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the anti-Posco agitators, Inspector General of Police, Central Range, S K Upadhaya said.
