Paradip, June 29: The deadlock in the Posco steel plant project areas continued with pro-plant villagers opposing the pre-construction works while insisting on their demand for enhanced compensation and rehabilitation package.
Local villagers showed resistance when officials started felling trees in the Nuagaon area this morning. The district administration held negotiation with the villagers to resolve the impasse.
However, the villagers insisted on fulfilment of their six-point demands.
Officials and armed police engaged in project-related work were forced to return empty-handed following protest from across the villagers. The police forces maintained restraint.
“We stopped the work honouring the sentiments of the local people. The demands relating to the compensation and rehabilitation raised by them will be settled at the Rehabilitation and Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting,” said additional district magistrate (ADM) Sarojkanta Choudhury.
The ADM, however, said that the cutting down of forest species trees has been taken up in Polanga, Bhuyanpal and Bayanalkanda villages under Gadakujang gram panchayat. “We undertook the work as the villagers have no right on the trees classified as forest species,” he said.
Officials said 67 trees belonging to forest species were felled today in Polanga, Bhuyanpal and Bayanalkanda villages. Kujang tehsildar, Vasudev Behera, said the official team today surveyed the betel vines demolished in Bayanalkanda, Bhuyanpal, Nolia Sahi and Polanga area in 2008 for the purpose of payment of compensation.
Inclusion of the betel vineyards demolished in 2008 in the compensation package was one of six demands put forth by the United Action Committee, a pro-plant outfit.
Villagers of Dhinkia gram panchayat, who have been opposing the plant for the last six years under the banner of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, continued to place a human barricade at Gobindpur. Villagers of Patna village today formed the human barricade on rotation basis.
“The human barricade will be there till Posco pulls out permanently.
“We will not allow officials of state government and Posco or the police to enter our villages for land acquisition till the last drop of our blood,” said Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti president, Abhay Sahu.The United Action Committee (UAC), the friend-turned-foe for the administration, today rejected the offer for a talk with the administration.
“We have held several rounds of talks with officials for the past two months. However, officials are insensitive towards people’s demands for revision in compensation and livelihood package,” said UAC general secretary Nirvaya Samantaray.
