Hundreds of Posco-affected people, including betel vine growers, anti-project outfits and land losers from proposed project site villages from Erasama block on Wednesday observed black day commemorating 11th years of Posco’s MoU with the Odisha Government.
The protestors staged demonstration in front of the Collector’s office here, wore black batch and hoisted black flag. They reiterated their sufferings and pains during Posco drive.
The agitators alleged the Government had made the MoU with the Korean steel major on June 22, 2005 without considering the ground realities of the proposed project site. As a result, stiff resistance of local residents continues unabated rendering the project a non-starter. The losses sustained by local people following Posco bid cannot be compensated either by the Odisha Government or by Posco, the agitators rued. The anti Posco leaders demanded a charter of six demands, including compensation for betel vein losers, withdrawal of cases against project opponents, land to land losers under the Forest Rights Act, retrieval of betel vines demolished during land acquisition, halt to boundary wall.