A team of Government officials led by Baliapal Tehsildar Dipak Das, who had gone to Jambhirai GP to execute demolition of illegal prawn dykes on Government lands on Friday, returned empty-handed as locals, mainly women, stiffly opposed them.
Baliapla police station IIC Bimal Nayak and two platoons of police force were deployed for smooth eviction of the land, which has been identified for the proposed Haldia petrochemicals project.
As the officials reached entry point of the village, hundreds of women gathered soon and didn’t let them enter the village. They even didn’t respond to the officials’ requests. The standoff continued for at least two hours and, finally, the officials moved back.
The Government has planned to evict several acres of Government lands in six villages under Betagadia, Anladiha, Nuagaon and Jabhirai GPs for the Rs 78,000- crore port-based Haldia Petrochemicals project, which requires 3,500 acres of land.
“Here land is required for a larger cause. Those having constructed houses and undertaken farming on the Government land would be rehabilitated as per Government norms,” said Tehsildar Das.