Work on the boundary wall of the project along the demarcated Polang village progressed today. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, June 22: The Orissa government is initiating a series of measures to win over the villagers of Posco plant area. It has directed the district administration to ensure that all welfare schemes, including supply of rice at Rs 2 per km were properly implemented. Due to the agitation launched by anti-Posco activists, it is said that the implementation of the government's welfare schemes had slowed down.

Orissa school and mass education secretary, Aparajita Sarangi, told The Telegraph: 'We have issued a direction to the Jagatsinghpur district collector to submit a detailed report on why children are not attending their schools and who the instigators were. We expect the report to reach us within two days. We will take appropriate measures to ensure that the children returned to their schools.'

This is the second such report sought by the Orissa government from the district collector.

Earlier, the women and child welfare department had sought a report on children being used as human shield by the protestors. In its report, the district welfare officer had stated that the children were being forced by the agitators to participate in the agitation.

In a related development, the government today directed officials to ensure that all the beneficiaries belonging to the BPL categories get the subsidised rice at Rs 2 per kg under the various welfare schemes. Orissa chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, issued the order at a meeting, which was called to review the situation arising out of the agitation. The meeting was also attended by senior police officials as the land acquisition process had been stalled by the agitators. “The chief minister asked us to ensure that various welfare schemes reach the beneficiaries of the region,” a senior police official said.

Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said: “The chief minister has given the direction to go for peaceful land acquisition. We are going ahead as per the direction of the chief minister.”

It may be mentioned here that Naveen had been saying that his government was for 'peaceful industrialisation of the state”. Senior officials of the food and civil supply department said that all steps had been taken to ensure that the people received rice, wheat and kerosene. Jagatsinghpur district food and civil supply officer, Laxmidhar Behera, said in Dhinkia, which was the epic-centre of anti-posco activities, there were 523 BPL card holders and 216 Antordaya card holders. “While 30 kg of rice is being given under the BPL, 35 kg of rice are being given under the Antordaya scheme,” said Behera.

In the Gadakujanaga area, there are 165 BPL and 84 Antordyaa cards, 192 BPL and 116 Antordaya cards. “We have distributed the rice. The wheat and kerosene will be distributed in the last week of June in this area,” said Behera. The women and child development department has also asked its officials to ensure that the pregnant women of the area received cooked meals provided under the special nutrition programme.