Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Posco’s MoU with the State Government, anti-project outfit Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) organised a protest meeting and observed Black Day at Dhinkia village on June 22.PPSS president Abhaya Sahoo, accompanied by hundreds of local villagers and women, took out a rally in Dhinkia village and converged at Patanahat where the protestors held a massive public meeting. Addressing the gathering, PPSS chief Sahoo said the Odisha Government had signed a MoU with Posco 10 years back and it has acquired 2,700 acres of Government land for the steel project. However, the project has been facing stiff resistance from the locals because of acquisition of fertile agricultural land, demolition of pan vines and felling of forests.
As a result, the project’s future is uncertain and the State Government is unable to renew its MoU after it lapsed 5 years back. Sahoo further explained the project has been suffering from manifold obstructions and legal hiatus at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Union Environment and Forests Ministry since years. Posco faces uncertainty in mineral linkage front and environment clearance, he stated.He also claimed that the entire anti-Posco movement, which started here seven years ago, received global recognition as a result of which the movement has grown all the stronger.
The PPSS chief appealed the Odisha Government to return the Government land to the affected land losers acquired two years back, withdraw the false cases against the anti-Posco leaders and rejuvenate the forest cover by planting trees. Among others, PPSS leaders Prasant Paikaray, Nityananda Swain and Manorama Khatua spoke. Meanwhile, hundreds of betel vine losers from Posco site villages staged demonstration and protest meeting in front of the Collector’s office here on Monday. They said forcible land acquisition led of loss of their livelihoods after their betel vines were razed. They said they were not able to receive due compensation and monthly pension till date. The villagers were led by leader Pradipta Ram. They submitted a memorandum to the Jagatsinghpur Collector.