Villagers surround policemen and government officials at Polang on Sunday. Telegraph picture

Paradip, June 26: Angry villagers today stalled the construction of a boundary wall at Polang, part of the Posco steel plant project area.

Over 500 villagers from Gadakujang and Nuagaon villages staged a protest march at the project work site demanding suspension of work till their pending demands were met.

The protesters gave vent to their resentment against the non-fulfilment of long-pending six-point demands pertaining to revision of compensation and livelihood support package for those living in the steel project area.

Tension mounted at the project site as the administration tried to pacify the angry villagers. “Project related work was suspended today at Polang site because of people’s protest. Though the agitation was peaceful in nature, we suspended the work as a precautionary measure and asked the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation personnel, who were supervising the work, to vacate the place,” said Kujang tehsildar Vasudev Pradhan.

“Though the work was suspended midway at Polang village, the boundary construction work and other ancillary project related work such as, tree-felling and ground-levelling of the dismantled betel vineyards, went on in places such as Noliasahi, Bayyanala-kanda and Bhuyanpala,” said additional district magistrate Saroj Kanta Choudhury. “Though the administration was armed with four platoons of police at the Polang site, we acted in restraint,” he said.

“Today’s show of protest was spontaneous. As the state government is deliberately dilly-dallying on fulfilment of six-point demands, they resolved to stop the project work,” said Nirvaya Kumar Samantaray, general secretary of United Action Committee, a pro-plant outfit.

“A group of senior officials headed by the revenue divisional commission (central division) held two rounds of talks with us. They committed to fulfil the demands on every occasion. But, people’s demands such as revision of compensation of betel vineyards, private and homestead land, higher subsistence package to the landless daily wagers in the project areas, have remained unfulfilled,” said Samantaray.

The officers, however, said the United Action Committee’s demands would be deliberated for settlement within the purview of the Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy.

“The rehabilitation and peripheral development advisory committee (RPDAC) would be convened shortly to settle people’s demands. People should cooperate with the government agencies,” said Choudhury.