Forest-clearance exercise on in Nuagaon forest area. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Aug. 1: Authorities are likely to acquire more private plots in the Posco project area soon. The clearing of forests and other project related works made smooth progress today.

The groundwork is in its final leg to expedite private land acquisition from “willing” landowners. Officials said that in a day or two, private agriculture land would be acquired at Gadakujang gram panchayat.

Last week, the Jagatsinghpur district administration symbolically initiated the process for acquisition of private land for the Posco project. Little over an acre of land was acquired from a willing landowner against a compensation amount of Rs 18 lakh.

The mega steel project is largely stuck in conflict between the plant supporters and its protesters.

The villagers, however, are insistent on revision of the compensation package of Rs 17 lakh for an acre of private land.

“As the forest clearance and betel vineyard dismantling work, along with the prawn dyke demolition, are over in all respect at Gadakujang gram panchayat, our plan is now to acquire private plots in a phased manner in the said area,” said Kujang tehsildar Vasudev Pradhan.

“The administration has held talks with private landowners in a cordial manner. The landowners have reposed trust in government mechanism. They are now ready to give away the private land,” he said.

“The Polang and Noiliasahi villages account for about 200 acres of private land with its owners in possession of valid records of rights. The landowners have already been served notices under the Orissa Land Acquisition act. Significantly, the notice receivers, who are given the right to object under the act, are yet to register any objection. Therefore, we are hopeful that the process would get under way very soon with people’s consent at least in these two villages,” said officials.

Out of the total land requirement of 4,004 acres for the greenfield mega steel plant project, 437.68 acres belong to private individuals, while a major chunk comes under the classified forestland.

The pace of work was comparatively brisk today with nearly 2,000 forest-classified trees pulled down with motorised sawing machines. Unlike the breakdown in the past days, the machines functioned smoothly.

Moreover, civil work such as, vineyard-levelling, sand-filling in low-lying areas and boundary wall-building were undertaken today without any hassle.

On the other hand, routine protest continued today in parts of Nuagaon and Dhinkia gram panchayats.

While the Bhitamati Surakhya Manch, demanding relocation of the project, sat on a dharna at Nuagaon, the members of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity put up the human barricade at the Nuagaon-Dhinkia border.