Landlosers in Jagatsinghpur collect firewood from trees felled to make way for the proposed Posco steel plant. File picture

Paradip, Aug. 11: Posco project work progressed unhindered today with cooperation from some sections of the landlosers.

Tree-felling, both under forest-classified and fruit-bearing categories, went on while majority of people were still opposed to the project work over non-fulfilment of their six-point demands for revised relief and rehabilitation package.

Work such as ground-levelling of the proposed rehabilitation colony near Polang village and levelling of the denuded forest areas got under way.

Payment of relief to those, who had lost fruit-bearing trees, was also made.

Local villagers volunteered support to the administration in carrying out pulling down of the forest-classified tress in the Nuagaon forest areas.

The pace of work, contrary to expectations, was brisk. Authorities carried out the exercise of tree-felling and conducted the measurement of the demolished betel vineyards to settle the dispute over the relief payment.

Accompanied by the armed police, the officials conducted the tree-felling exercise at Polang, while things were different in Nuagaon forest areas.

The forest trees were pulled down as there was neither the presence of the administrative officials nor the police. The villagers owing allegiance to the Dadhibaban village forest committee conducted the work.

The civil work and forest clearance operation had come to a halt since July 3 following combined resistance by various anti-Posco outfits.

The protesting villagers, who had earlier held hostage officials of the Posco and the IDCO, staged road blockade to stall the work. Only on August 4, irate villagers of Nolia Sahi in the Posco steel plant area held nine government employees, including a Posco executive and an IDCO staff, hostage for four hours demanding immediate implementation of their charter of demands.

“The project work resumed yesterday. Today it progressed smoothly with no protest from any quarters,” said Kujang tehsildar Vasudev Pradhan. However, civil work such as boundary wall construction on the demarcated project border, resettlement colony at Jokerpada near Polang and road-laying work are yet to resume.

“The administration has turned anti-people. A handful of people has come forward to cooperate with the officials. But the majority are opposed to the project work till the fulfilment of their demands,” said Dhirendra Pallei, working president of the United Action Committee, which has put forward a six-point charter of demands.

Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena said: “The administration has already expressed its commitment to settle their six-point demands related to compensation and rehabilitation issues at the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee meeting scheduled on August 24.”

The demands include hike in the relief sum against acquired betel vineyards, private and homestead land, inclusion of about 75 families who have deserted Dhinkia gram panchayat under the relief scheme, relief for owners of betel vines demolished in 2008, engagement of local villagers in the project and employment from every family.