Villagers demonstrate at the Posco site in Nuagaon. Telegraph picture

Paradip, July 19: The stand off over project-related work continued in the Posco villages with authorities today preferring to stay away from the exercise.

Protest from those who had earlier extended a helping hand to the administration has led to the suspension of work since past five days. Since the scuffle between the protesters and police on Friday, which had resulted in abrupt suspension of works, things have not moved an inch.

Treading cautiously in the face of mounting resistance from pro-Posco and anti-plant outfits, the administration has decided to defer the land acquisition process and project-related work till the fulfilment of protesters’ six-point demands.

“The administration is not in favour of doing anything that is detrimental to local residents’ larger interest. Whatever has been done so far with regard to the land acquisition and ancillary project work is with the consent of willing land-losers. As people are insistent on fulfilment of their pending demands, work has been stopped to show regard to locals’ sentiment. Higher authorities have been informed about the situation. We are waiting for further directions for resumption of stalled project-related works,” said Jagatsinghpur collector, Narayan Chandra Jena.

The protest has apparently spread to Nuagaon even as Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity (PPSS), an outfit that has been spearheading a resistance movement against the South Korean steel maker for the past six years, continued to put in place the human barricade at Gobindpur-Dhinkia border.

Protesters from Nuagaon thwarted any possible commencement of project-related work by staging a dharna at Mathasahi. Under the stewardship of another outfit, Bhitamati Surakhya Manch, (BSM), locals resolved to stop the officials and police from gaining entry at any cost. Special women brigades guarded the forest areas to stall forcible felling of trees.

“The officials have betrayed us. They beat up our womenfolk on Friday. They opposed the forcible tree-cutting. They were beaten up by lathi-wielding policemen. Our opposition to administration project-related exercise will continue,” said Jayant Biswal, advisor, BSM.

The United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco outfit, was also critical of the government’s move.

“Use of force on unarmed people on Friday was unwarranted. People are steadily losing faith in government mechanism. It is being widely believed that the administration is intent on protecting the steel company’s interest than that of the people. We had been told that RPDAC meeting would be held on or before July 19 to resettling the six-charter demands. But officials have again failed to keep up their word,” said UAC general secretary, Nirvaya Samantaray.

“People have every right to express dissatisfaction as revision of compensation package is getting delayed. But demands will be addressed, as committed by the administration,” said additional district magistrate, Saroj Kanta Choudhury.