18 farmers booked for re-occupying Posco land

The Jagatsinghpur district administration has registered criminal cases against as many as 18 persons for re-erecting betel vineyards on land acquired for the Posco steel project.The Ersama Tehsildar Sarat Kumar Purohit has on July 26 filed a written complaint at the Abhaychandpur police station against the 18 farmers, who have allegedly erected betel vineyards on the land acquired by the Government.

Farmers from Gobindpur village Babaji Sahu, Kshirod Das, Nrusingha Sahu, Kedar Sahani, Ashok Bardhan, Surendra Behera, lakshman Das, Jagannath Rout, Sukant Jena, Santosh Das, Banamali Das and Sukant Das have allegedly reoccupied the acquired land and started erecting betel vines.Several villagers from Polang have also allegedly reoccupied the acquired land for betel cultivation. They are Babu Mandal, Sanjay Swain, Nishakar Behera, Gouranga Das and Natabara Samal.

Cases under Section 447 of the IPC (criminal trespass) have been registered against the persons named in the FIR. Besides, they have been served legal notices and directed to vacate the land at the earliest.With uncertainty looming large over the fate of the decade-old Posco project, farmers from Dhinkia, Nuagaon, Gadakujang and Gobindpur are said to be regrouping as resentment is brewing among them over the Government’s failure to provide the land losers with jobs.

“The government has not utilised the land for the purpose they had acquired. They had demolished our betel vines which were our sole source of income. So, we would re-erect the betel vines to eke out a living,” a farmer said.Pro-Posco leader Nirbhay Samantaray has blamed the district administration and the Government for the action against the farmers.

“Thousands of people from four panchayats have lost their livelihoods due to Government’s lack of foresight. Several trees have been felled including lakhs of fruit-bearing trees. This has weakened the economy of this region. The affected farmers will unite in the future,” Samantaray said.The Ersama Tehsildar has reportedly remarked, “Action has been taken as per the law. The Government has initiated strong action as the villagers are reoccupying Government land repeatedly.”