File picture of a betel vine farmer at the proposed Posco site

Paradip, May 31: A minor hiccup occurred in the Posco land acquisition process when officials acquiring land today uprooted some casuarinas trees irking forest personnel. Forest officials seized the trees and registered a case.

“We seized the trees and registered a case. Investigation is on to find out if there have been more such cases in the project area,” said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division. The case was registered under the provisions of Orissa Forest Act, 1972.

“The state forest department has made an elaborate enumeration of trees that have come up in the forest areas falling under the proposed boundary limits of the Posco plant. The Orissa Forest Corporation is authorised to carry out mass felling after it receives the royalty sum against the loss of tree cover,” said Mahapatra.

Paradip’s additional district magistrate Saroj Kanta Choudhary said it was an unintentional mistake.

“Officials engaged in land acquisition process have been asked to adhere to guidelines while removing trees,” he added.

Choudhary said a large number of landowners turned up today to give up their land. “Over 100 landowners wanted to give away their land but we could manage to take possession of the plots of only 67 landowners,” he said.

“In an intensified drive today, 67 betel vineyards were pulled down in Polang, Bayanalakanda and Nuagaon villages. The highest number of betel vine plots was dismantled in a day today as 7.13 acres of encroached forestland were brought under the possession of government agencies. The Industrial Development Corporation would take possession of the reclaimed land for its diversion in favour of the Posco steel mill,” said Choudhury.

With today’s acquisition of 7.13 acres, 35.63 acres of betel vineyards that had come up on encroached forestland has so far been acquired in the exercise that resumed on May 18. A total of 268 betel plots have been acquired and 267 land-losers have become recipients of compensation to the tune of Rs 3.20crore. Earlier, on August 3, when MoEF had halted the land acquisition process, 97 betel plots were pulled down and 11.83 acres of land had been acquired, said Nrusinghha Charan Swain, special land acquisition officer for the Posco steel project.

Kalindi Swain from Bayanalakanda village, who gave away his 28 decimal betel vineyard today and received a Rs 2.62lakh cheque, said: “We were left with little option but to part with the land. I was hesitant to give up the betel vines. After government’s commitment yesterday that there would be a hike in compensation and assurance of job to every land-loser family, I made up my mind to give away the land.”