Paradip, April 29: Jagatsinghpur district administration officials today claimed to have brokered truce with anti-Posco activists.

While land acquisition exercise resumed today after three-day break in Gobindpur village, senior officers of the district administration claimed that they held talks with Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity (PPSS) activists in Patana. As the officials and protesters were preoccupied with talks, the land acquisition process slowed down considerably.

“We talked to the protesters who had marched towards the Gobindpur-Dhinkia border to halt the land acquisition process. The discussions were held in an open field. About 150 people from Dhinkia and Patana village aired their grievances and urged the administration not to resort to forcible land acquisition,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.

“Now, the activists have invited officials of the district administration for another round of dialogue. A discussion would be held after we receive a charter of demands from them in written format. We told them that Patana and Dhinkia did not figure within the proposed boundary of the steel project. So, no land acquisition would take place there. However, if people change their mind and express desire in favour the project, the matter would be taken up for reconsideration and the map will be redrawn. After that land acquisition in Dhinkia and Patana could be taken up,” said Mallick.

However, PPSS refuted this claim. “The protesters went there to oppose forcible land acquisition. The officials led by the collector and superintendent of police held a discussion on the project with PPSS activists. Officials of the district administration offered to hold another round of discussion. But we rejected it outright. PPSS is opposed to the project. The fight against the project would go on till the steelmaker retreats from the place,” said PPSS president Abhaya Sahu.

“Three betel vineyards were dismantled and 19 fruit-bearing trees were felled as part of the land acquisition process today. Tomorrow onwards, we would hasten the process,” said special land acquisition officer Sarat Kumar Purohit.

Since the third and concluding phase of land acquisition began on April 21, 53 betel vineyards have been pulled down and 69 acres acquired. The target is to take possession of 200 acres to meet the steelmaker’s requirements. Roughly 170 acre is still left for acquisition. About 150 betel vineyards have been targeted for demolition in the final phase of land acquisition.