Paradip, Oct. 21: The Orissa government today came under fire when local villagers, both opposing and supporting the Posco steel project, apprised the visiting members of the National Human Rights Commission of “improprieties” being committed by officials for acquiring land for the mega venture.

Various groups gave vent to their anger towards the district administration for its “anti-people policy” and sought the commission’s intervention.

The villagers also accused the authorities of “protecting the interests of the steelmaker”. The panel, led by commission’s special rapporteur Damodar Sarangi on a two-day visit to the project villages, interacted with a cross section of people and officials to make an on-the-spot assessment of alleged human rights violation.

“The team visited places such as, Gobindpur, Dhinkia, Nuagaon, Noliasahi and Polang that come under the proposed steel project area. They talked to the people and heard their grievances. A section of people in some villages drew the panel’s attention through written petitions. The commsion emissary also held discussion on various issues with the Orissa government officials,” said special land acquisition officer Nrusingha Charan Swain.

“The general grouse of the people was that authorities resorted to force while acquiring land for the project. Because of the intimidating presence of armed police, a section of unwilling land owners were forced to give away their land. People were denied their right to protest. Majority of land losers complained of a forcible land-grabbing spree in villages,” said Gadakujang panchayat samiti member Vasudev Behera.

People in Dhinkia gram panchayat, the epicentre of resistance movement against the steel project, laid claim over the forestland and reiterated that people staying in such areas were entitled to land rights under the “other traditional forest dwellers” category.

“People submitted land records and documents and impressed upon the commission representatives that their rights were being trampled by the government. Their rightful claim over forestland is being literally snatched away at gun point for the setting up the steel plant. The landowners submitted the panel members with the 1930 Record of Rights and settlement maps. Besides, the Maddox settlement report of 1890 prepared by the British rulers was presented to the panel. The Maddox report indicates that these places were rich with forest and betel vines,” said Abhaya Sahu, president of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity, an anti-Posco outfit.

The NHRC representatives patiently heard the plight of 52 families living in Badabagapur transit colony on the outskirts of the project area. The families who supported the steel company had fled from their villagers in 2008 after being allegedly persecuted by anti-Posco outfit members.

“We urged the rights panel to intervene, so that we could move to our ancestral land at the earliest. We had been hounded out from our homes. We are living here like refugees. The authorities have turned a blind eye to our repeated pleas. We have also moved the high court. But, our misery continues,” said Chandan Mohanty, who lives at the transit colony.