Children along with their parents join the resistance movement against Posco steel project in Gobindapur village on Thursday. Telegraph picture

Paradip, June 9: After successfully dismantling betel vineyards in two of the three gram panchayats coming under the proposed Posco steel project, a determined administration today claimed to have acquired over 40 per cent of the land required for the big-ticket steel venture.

“The acquisition work of the forestland in Nuagaon and Gadakujang gram panchayats has come to an end. We have pulled down all the betel vineyards in these areas and taken procession of the acquired land. Technically rest of the forestland has come under our custody,” said Saroj Kanta Choudhury, additional district magistrate, Paradip.

“Though we are yet take up complete physical possession, 1,301 acres of forestland, in which betel vineyards and orchards had come up in Nuagaon and Gadakujang gram panchayats, have already been acquired. Besides 561 acres of encroachment and litigation-free revenue land near Jatadhari has been leased out to Posco. Thus, we already have 1,862 acres of land for the project,” Choudhury said.

“The process to pull down fruit-bearing trees from the 1,301 acres of forestland is now underway. Lawful claimants of the trees, which are being chopped down, are being paid compensation as per Orissa horticulture rules. Barring some minor show of dissent, people are willingly receiving the compensation cheques against the felled trees,” he said.

Officials today carried out the tree-felling exercise in Nuagaon and Gadakujang gram panchayats while countering protest from sections of land-losers. The armed policemen did not escort them today. There was tension in Noliasahi as angry landowners stopped the tree-felling process midway seeking immediate disbursal of monthly subsistence package.

“All our livelihood stakes have now been snatched away after demolition of the betel vineyards. The government should pay us monthly allowance as decided by the resettlement and peripheral development advisory committee panel last year. Unless we receive the money every month, how will we survive?” asked a cross-section of betel vine owners who lost their vineyards to the steel project.

At the same time, people from Dhinkia gram panchayat, hotbed of the anti-Posco movement, stepped up vigil along the panchayat border to stop entry of officials for acquisition of their betel vineyards.

For nearly a week, round-the-clock vigil in the area has been creating problems for land acquisition officials.

“All the villagers have vacated their houses. Children and women, too, have come forward to take part in the resistance movement. People are ready to fight till the end,” said Abhaya Sahu, president, Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity (PPSS), which is spearheading the resistance movement.

“It’s disturbing that the activists have resorted to means like using small children as human shields,” said Shantanu Kumar Das, sub-divisional police officer, Paradip.

“The project area has 438 acres of privately owned land. Of the 2,958 acres of forestland coming under the steel project areas, the Nuagaon and Gadakujang gram panchayats accounted for 1,301 acres, which we already have under our possession. The remaining 1,657 acres fall under the Dhinkia gram panchayat where there are signs of resistance. The next phase of land acquisition exercise would resume in Dhinkia gram panchayat’s Gobindapur village, which has 854 acres of forestland cover under betel vineyards. The process will resume shortly,” Choudhury said.