Unmindful of the anti-Posco agitation getting further impetus after the death of three project opponents in a bomb blast incident on Saturday, Jagatsinghpur district Collector SK Mallick on Wednesday said the Posco land acquisition would continue until the project gets its required 2,700 acres of land and maintained that the south Korean steel major is firm on building its revised 8 MTPA steel plant at the earmarked site.
He clarified that no land and betel vineyards would be demolished in Dhinkia village and Patana.
For the first time, the District Collector convened a Press meet inside the collectorate and clarified about the Governmnet position on the current land acquisition move. He revealed that the first phase of the land takeover bid had started on February 3-6 when the administration had demolished around 50 betel vines and acquired about 250 acre of land but owing to strong opposition by the project opponents, the administration was compelled to halt the land acquisition move abruptly. "later, we restarted the second phase of the land acquisition on March 3 and so far about 40 vineyards have been demolished and around 150 acre of Government land has been retrieved.
About 400 acre of land has been acquired while another 300 acre of land would be acquired in Govindapur village. The drive would continue until the project gets it required 2,700 acres land," Mallick informed. Meanwhile, the Government has been planning to hand over 2,700 acre to Posco to enable the company to start construction of its steel mill. Already the IDCO has given about 1,701 acre of land to Posco. The District Collector clarified that Dhinkia, the hotbed of protest, has been left out of the project ambit. The District Collector informed that the South Korean steel major has planned to launch a massive CSR programme in the proposed project site villages and has earmarked about Rs 200 crore for the purpose.
"In the first phase, we are proposing to develop the communication network in the area by constructing a few roads connecting Balitutha to Govindapur, Nuagaon and Gadakujanga. Besides, three high mask lights would be installed at Govindapur, Gadakujanga and Nuagaon very shortly," Mallick divulged. SP SB Bhoi, who was present at the Press conference, gave details on the overall law and order situation of the project site after the bomb blast incident. He said although palpable tension prevailed after the bomb blast incident occurred on Saturday night, the situation was under control. "We have started a police camp at Patana for providing security to the public," Bhoi maintained. Responding to a question on how the project opponents violated the prohibitory order under Section 144 of the Cr PC and performed last rites of three deceased and held a public meeting at Patana Hat on Tuesday, the SP informed that cases had been registered at Abhyachandpur police station against the leaders who flouted the administration's order, including in the name of anti project leader Abhaya Sahoo.
He rubbished a widespread rumor that the pro industry group had hurled the bombs on Saturday killing the three and seriously injuring one laxman Paramanik who is undergoing treatment at theSCB Medical College Hospital at Cuttack. The SP asserted that three people who were killed in the crude bomb blast were making the bombs at Patana village on Saturday.
On the other hand, the Posco Pratirodha Sangrama Samity (PPSS) organised a protest meeting in Dhinkia on Wednesday to which the national general secretary of CPI (Ml) KN Ramachandran extended his support. Talking to media he said that near the proposed Posco steel plant, there is a major port, two fertilizer plants, one upcoming oil refinery project. But what did the locals get in returnIJ These projects did not undertake any developmental works in nearby villages. How will Posco change the economic scenario and social life of the nearby villagesIJ he questioned. All India Women's Organisation president Urmila and general secretary Sarmistha Chaoudhury were present.