Paradip, Feb. 1: The Jagatsinghpur district authorities are all set to restart the Posco project work with police being deployed on the periphery of the proposed steel project site near Paradip.

Yesterday, senior police officials reviewed the law and order situation likely to arise out of the land acquisition process. Emphasis was laid on peaceful land acquisition with minimum use of force on protestors, said a police official.

Betel vines are being taken down at Gobindpur. This was stopped in December 2011 following protests by local villagers.

Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi said deployment of police was a part of routine law and order exercise. “It has nothing to do with the use of force for land acquisition at the project site villages. The police are trying their level best to prevent breach of peace,” he said.

“The groundwork for the resumption of the project work has been completed. The administration has said it will hold talks with the protestors. They have, however, rejected the offer. The protestors have been asked to vacate the land. The exercise for acquisition of forestland encroached upon for betel vine cultivation will be conducted peacefully,” said additional district magistrate Surajit Das.

The administration has made up its mind to acquire 700 acres required for the project, said Das.

The administration is already in possession of 2,000 acres. Posco, which has already scaled down from its earlier requirement of 4,004 acres, needs 700 acres more to carry forward the construction of the project.

Opponents of the project, on the other hand, are continuing to put up a brave front, having put up a human barricade on the Gobindpur-Dhinkia border for the eighth consecutive day. Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity (PPSS), which is spearheading the anti-plant stir, is still insistent that the movement will go on till the police retreats from the area.

“The movement against the steel plant is intensifying further. People are ready to fight with renewed vigour,” said PPSS chief Abhaya Sahu.

However, district officials said the majority of the villagers supported the project. “Most of the people have reposed faith in the government and the company. Their demands will be fulfilled in due course of time,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.