Demolishing of betel vines continued amid tension in Posco area

-- Third day of land acquisition drive --

--Anti-Posco leader Abhay Sahoo begins hunger strike

JAGATSINGHPUR/PARADIP: On the third day of the resumed land acquisition drive for the proposed Posco steel plant, the Jagatsinghpur district administration dismantled around 18 betel vines amid tension at Govindapur on Tuesday. A minor scuffle in between the police and the agitators took place at the border of Govindapur and Dhinkia village which resulted in halting of land acquisition drive for the day.

According to the district Collector Satya Kumar Mallick, they dismantled the betel vines in Govindapur village by distributing Rs 43 lakh as compensation to the land losers on Tuesday. The land acquisition process was shattered following hundreds of school children and women from trouble torn Dhinkia village protested violently, he added.

In the afternoon, the villagers staged dharna at Govindapur village opposing the land acquisition works for the company by destroying betel vines and demanded immediate withdrawal of the police force from their village. During the demolition drive, the agitators rushed to the entry point of Dhinkia village and prostrated on the sand to prevent entry of armed police force to their village.  

In a significant development, anti-Posco leader Abhaya Sahoo staged an indefinite hunger strike at Patana Hat protesting illegal land acquisition by the State Government. He alleged that the district administration’s bid to acquire land is outrageous and illegal attempt.

Meanwhile, a five-member team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headed by party’s vice-president Ashok Sahoo visited Dhinkia and Govindapur villages to meet the anti-Posco agitators and held discussions with the district administration regarding land acquisition process. Speaking on the occasion, the BJP leaders said that their party is not against the project, but they oppose the forcible land acquisition.

However, administration is in no mood to push back the betel vine demolition drive. As many as 41 betel vines have been demolished and compensation about Rs 93 lakh has been paid to the victims during last three days. “As the situation is turning favourable, the land acquisition process will continue further,” informed district collector to The Pioneer.

Notably, the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha (IDCO) had already acquired 2,000 acres of land for the project in Gadakujang and Nuagaon panchayats two years ago. There is a target of acquiring additional 700 acres of land at Gobindapur within this month.