Paradip, May 14: The Jagatsinghpur district administration today acquired 15 betel vineyard plots for the Posco steel project at Gobindpur village after a three-day break.

“The betel plots were measured using GPS technology. The process was video-graphed to maintain transparency. The people gave a written undertaking of consent for acquisition of land. Later, they received compensation cheques,” said special land acquisition officer Sarat Kumar Purohit.

Of the 15 betel vines demolished today, owners of 11 vineyards were eligible for compensation. They were paid compensation amounting to Rs 28.82 lakh. Four new betel vineyards were demolished. But its owners were not paid because their plots were not spotted earlier during the socio-economic survey of the area. The authorities also removed 285 fruit-bearing trees today and Rs 4.85 lakh was paid as compensation to their owners.

The exercise was a smooth affair today. A protest rally against the drive took place at Patana village, about 4km from where the land acquisition took place today.

“Our opposition to the steel project will continue. Our leader Abhaya Sahu has been arrested on trumped up charges to weaken the people’s resistance against the South Korean steel maker,” said Sisir Kumar Mahapatra, general secretary of the anti-plant Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity.

About 50 vineyards are left to be acquired at Gobindpur and officials said the land acquisition process has reached its final stages.

People have decided not to oppose the work any more. However, they have requested the administration to expeditiously implement the rehabilitation and resettlement measures for land losers and displaced families, said Ranjan Bardhan, a land owner, who recently gave away his betel vineyard.

“The land acquisition process for the Posco steel project made rapid progress today with people’s consensus. The exercise went on unhindered and was entirely resistance-free. The landowners gave written consent for dismantling of betel plots. The betel vineyards of the willing owners were measured by GPS technology,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.

Fruit-bearing trees were cut down and the felled logs and timber were handed over to the local village forest committees. Earlier, the committees were entitled to take possession of 50 per cent of the logs. The rest was to be put up for public auction. But we have relaxed the rules in larger public interest, he said.