Villagers gather around the vehicle at the Posco site. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Feb. 29: Villagers opposing the Posco project today held four persons hostage. Those taken hostage were travelling in a van carrying material for the proposed steel plant’s project office.

In another related development, the Jagatsinghpur district administration refused to grant permission to the steel company to organise a global engineering seminar at the troubled project site.

The company had planned to hold the event tomorrow at the Nuagaon office site with participation of senior company officials and experts from the industry.

“Today, in the early hours, a van carrying material was stopped near Gobindpur in Dhinkia gram panchayat. Those who intercepted the vehicle were members of an anti-Posco outfit. They held four persons under detention for nearly nine hours before releasing them. They were not harmed,” said Basanta Kumar Jena, liaison officer of Posco.

Since December 14, when the area witnessed violence that had left one dead and 15 others injured, the project area has been peaceful.

The authorities had suspended project-related work for an indefinite period.

“We have come to know of the incident. But the company authorities have not lodged any complaint with us. As the detained vehicles and its crew have been released, we did not think it proper to send police forces to the spot. The company officials are being advised to inform the police in advance about the transportation of cargo or goods to the project area in future,” said Bijoy Kumar Sahu, additional superintendent of police in Paradip.

The Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, spearheading the resistance movement against the steelmaker for over six years, reiterated its stand and made it clear that it would not allow any project-related work in the area.

“We detained the vehicle in protest against the project. The company is planning to hold a seminar tomorrow at Nuagaon. We will not allow it to take place. Our fight will go on till the authorities decided to relocate the steel project,” said Sisir Kumar Mahapatra, general secretary of the samiti.

Office bearers of United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco outfit, spoke on similar lines.

“Till our charter of demands relating to revised compensation to landlosers are met, our opposition to the project work will continue. We will stage a protest if the company holds the seminar tomorrow,” said Nirvaya Samantaray, general secretary of UAC.

“The company has sought permission to hold a seminar tomorrow. Keeping in view the law and order situation, we have refused permission, ” said Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena.

Authorities of the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), which has been entrusted with the task of acquiring land for the steel company, is also not in favour of it holding a seminar in the area.

“We instructed the company not to hold such a seminar keeping in view the prevailing situation at the project villages,” said Sangram Mahapatra, general manager of Idco.

“Whatever is done in the area will depend on cooperation and consensus of local residents. The administration has resolved to win the people’s confidence before work resumes. We are for peaceful industrialisation,” said Surajeet Das, additional district magistrate of Paradip.