Commemorating Posco MoU’s 11th anniversary, thePoscoPratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) organised a meeting and observed it as black day at the project site in Dhinkia on Wednesday.
PPSS leaders Prashant Paikray, Manorama Khatua, Nityananda Swain among others accompanied by hundreds of the anti-project front’s sympathizers, including local villagers and women, took out a rally from Dhinkia village and converged at Phulakhi temple where the PPSS hosted a massive public meeting. Interestingly, PPSS president Abhaya Sahoo, senior leader Sisir Mohapatra and many prominent anti Posco leaders were absent.
Addressing the gathering, the PPSS leaders described that 11 years have passed since the Odisha Government signed a MoU with Posco, and during the period, it could not initiate any tangible progress for the project inception.
The Government axed about three lakh trees from the 2,700 acres Government land retrieved from public clutches, razed 1,118 betel vines from the localities for the project purpose but was unable to renew the MoU with Posco, which has expired six years ago, they said.
“ The entire anti Posco movement which had started here seven years ago has received global recognition and anti industry contingents across the world are objecting to the project, they opined.
The PPSS activists appealed to the Odisha Government to return the Government land to the affected land losers and withdraw the false cases against the anti-Posco leaders, besides rejuvenating forest cover.
Meanwhile, hundreds of betel vine losers from Posco site villages staged demonstration in front of the collector office here on Wednesday.
The protestors led by its leader Pradipta Ram submitted a memorandum before the Jagatsinghpur Collector.