Women activists of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti demonstrate in Gobindpur. Telegraph picture

Paradip, March 23: Posco area is once again witnessing protests with women campaigners against the big-ticket project from Dhinkia gram panchayat beginning indefinite sit-in at Gobindpur.

The protesting activists, owing allegiance to the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, are demanding withdrawal of police forces from the project village.

Though land acquisition process and ancillary project related work have been put on hold, the police are still deployed at strife-torn Gobindpur because of recurring breach of law and order.

“By staging protest, women from the project villages have sent the message loud and clear that the resistance movement against Posco is still vigorous. People here have vowed to fight till the government relocated it. They are ready to make supreme sacrifice to protect their land and livelihood sources,” said Samiti women wing chief Manorama Khatua.

The land acquisition will be stiffly resisted in coming days. The government and company officials will be stopped gaining entry to the project villages as people, including women, have resolved to stage human barricade.

“The police have kept close vigil on the agitation. The camp at Gobindpur will continue to operate. Question of withdrawal of forces does not arise as the people have sought for police protection stating that anti-Posco activists have unleashed terror upon them,” said Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi. The sit-in agitation by the Samiti’s women wing activists is now in its second day. The protesters are peacefully picketing. The stir is symbolic in nature, said Samiti president Abhaya Sahu.

“At a time when the administration has suspended land acquisition and project related work, holding out of sit-in of this nature is a meaningless exercise. However, the agitators do have their democratic right to protest in peaceful manner,” said Paradip additional district magistrate Surajit Das.

The support base of the Samiti, the outfit spearheading the anti-Posco resistance movement, has undergone drastic erosion in recent past. The administration’s announcement earlier this month that Gobindpur and Dhinkia villages are excluded from territorial limits of the project has dealt further blow to the outfit.

In a setback to the outfit, landowners from these areas have volunteered to give away their land to the project. They have written to the administration, expressing the desire in this regard, said an official.