Trees uprooted in the Posco project area in Jagatsinghpur and (above) villagers block a road. Telegraph pictures

Paradip, Aug. 17: A group of villagers staged a road blockade near the proposed Posco steel project area at Gadakujang today. The protest, however, failed to hinder project-related work.

“In an apparent bid to be granted the rehabilitation package, a section of local villagers have raised a set of strange demands such as redrawing of the project boundary. They own movable and immovable assets, including betel vineyards, outside the earmarked project limits. We have asked them to withdraw the road blockade by this evening, or else they will be booked for unlawful activity,” said Narayan Chandra Jena, collector of Jagatsinghpur.

Unfazed by the protest, the administration went ahead with felling of trees in Nuagaon forest.

“Despite the road blockade, the pulling down of forest classified and fruit-bearing trees went on in full swing today. Aware of the protest at Gadakujang, we changed our road route and reached the project site through an alternate way. Nearly 6,000 trees were felled yesterday and today in Nuagaon with the support of local settlers,” said special land acquisitions officer Nrusingha Charan Swain.

“Though blocking the road and preventing government officials from discharging duty is illegal, police acted with restraint. No force was used on the protesters. We will be compelled to use force if they continue with this road blockade,” said sub-divisional police officer Shantanu Kumar Das.

Under the banner of Kunjabehari Gramya Surakhya Samity, the group of villagers staged a protest with a set of fresh demands. They disapproved the “mindless” tree felling in the villages in the project area. Insistent on the launch of compensatory afforestation to save human settlements from the scourge of tidal ingress and storm, those opposing the forest clearance exercise also sought guaranteed employment for youths from the displaced families.