Five political parties, the CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, RJD and Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday demanded that the State Government come forward with a White Paper on the proposed Posco project to clear its stand.
The leaders of these parties at a joint Press conference here at the CPI State party office slammed the State Government for its “forcible” land acquisition in Patana and Gobindpur villages for the Posco project.
Alleging that the Government is busy providing all logistic supports to Posco despite objections from the National Green Tribunal and law Department, the leaders demanded to know that while the Green Tribunal issued a stay order on the environment clearance to the project for six months then on what ground the administration is cutting trees to facilitate the project.
“What the State Government is doing for the Posco project is absolutely illegal and arbitrary. While the locals of the project site are demonstrating peacefully, the Government is using police force to suppress their democratic voice. Hence, we demand a White Paper detailing the Government’s stand on Posco,” said SP State president Rabi Behera. Among others, the CPI’s Asis Kanungo, the CPI(M)’s Suresh Panigrahi, the Forward Bloc’s Santosh Mitra, the RJD’s Harish Mohapatra and Ramkrushna Panda urged the Government not to go ahead with the land acquisition process and tree failing. They also demanded release of PPSS leaders Abhay Sahoo and laxman Parmanik.