Battle line drawn over POSCO area
Finally, a battle line has been drawn over the proposed POSCO steel plant in Pradep-Earesems area of Odisha.
THE RS 52,000 crores ($12bln) South Korean project said to be the largest FDI in India is going through bad weather following the resistance of local people. Nearly 2,000 people, including children and women, have formed a three tier HUMAN BARRICADE at the entrance of Govindapur and Dhinkia GPs, thus denying entry to 800 strong state armed police and senior administrative and police officials. On several occasions during the last few weeks, land acquisition team had to retreat following the resistance.
Though the much anticipated confrontation has been averted due to rain and cancelation of land acquisition programme today, the tussle between POSCO Pratirodha Sangram Samiti and district administration is here to stay, says Prashat Paikray, spokesman of the movement, adding that “unless there is a withdrawal of the project, people are not going to retreat”.
CM Naveen Patnaik, though has cleared the air saying, “all we need a peaceful land acquisition,” opposition parties are not going to accept the logic, and they have almost announced a state wide agitation. Prominent Activist Swami Agnivesh is visiting the area today to make it a national issue.
Not only the anti-project movement, but also pro-POSCO action committee is at the loggerheads with district administration demanding more compensation, more job assurances and more contracts.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Union Environment Minister Jayaram Ramesh has expressed strong resentment over land acquisition in proposed POSCO project saying, “Forest clearance is no license to forcible takeover of the land.”
Ramesh in his statement said, “I have often said that the environment and forest clearance process should not be used to fight other battles that have to do with important issues like land acquisition, compensation and livelihoods. The POSCO steel-cum-power-cum-port project in Odisha was given environment and forest clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after a great deal of thought and a careful balancing of various factors. However, I hope that the state government will not use this clearance as a license for forcible acquisition of land. This was neither the intent nor the purpose of the clearance given by the MOEF. I appeal to the Odisha government to ensure that land is acquired only through peaceful and law-governed means". (From MOEF Press Release)
While countering the opposition charges the other day state Industry Minister Raghunath Mohanty said, “when people are volunteering to give up their land there is no need of using force, nearly 200 villagers have given written application to the district administration.”
According to Mohanty, “State government has earmarked 3719 acres of land to be acquired for POSCO, out of these private land is about 152 acres and 2958 acres are forest land. Till today we have been able to acquire around 1500 acres of land of Polanga, Nuagaon, Nolia Sahi, Bayanala Kanda, Bhuyan Nala villages.”
Industry minister further said, “the bone of contention has been the 1400 acres of encroached land in the villages of Dhinkia and Govindapur on which we want to peaceful negotiation with the villagers and we are going to compensate them on these lands also; besides these government has already committed to rehabilitee 613 families properly with the best packages available in the country.”
Further, in a dramatic move, people have rebuilt 31 out of 37 betel vines destroyed and uprooted by district administration during the last three days in around Govindpur. They have decided not to accept any compensation from the government.
Ramakrushna Panda, CPI, National Council Member alleged that, “when people like Murali Das, Nira Das and Bichitra Rout of Govindpur were sitting in Dharana against forcible land acquisition their betel vines had been uprooted.”
He further added that, “why the government is in hurry to acquire the land when union government is in process of amending the Land Acquisition Act.”
Though, the ongoing land acquisition for 12MLTA proposed POSCO Steel Plant had been suspended for five days from 12-17th of this month for popular "Rajo" celebration in Odisha's Jgatsinghpur district, the political war has been intensified following the statement of Jayaram Rames, Union Environment and Forest Minister, who has accused Odisha state of forcible land takeover.
While speaking to the press, Dr. B.D.Sharma, former SC & ST Commissioner, said, “it is pity to note that State is utilizing armed forces against its own people those who have elected them, when government’s appointed committees have expressed concern over possible forest destruction, potential disastrous impacts on the environment and an independent study showed that it would lead to a net loss of employment, destitution and impoverishment of around 50,000 people while producing no benefits for the people economy of the state; then how they have given permission to this project.” Sharma added, “It is the people and society on whom the ownership of natural resources lies not the government who is only the guardian.”
Not only POSCO PRATIRODHA SANGRAM SAMITI, which is in loggerheads with district administration, all the opposition parties including Congress and BJP have charged Naveen Patnaik for trying/converting Dhinkia into another Kalinganagar (where 13 tribals were killed by police during anti-Tata Project movement in 2006) by deploying 22 platoons of police and frighten villagers.
Interestingly, Local MP Bibhu Tarai (CPI) along with leaders of five political parties CPI, CPIM, SP, RJD and Forward Block sat on dharana in Dhinkia-Govindpur on June 11 to express solidarity with struggling people. Both CPI and CPIM are the alliance partners of ruling BJD. On the other hand, SUCI, CPIML, CPIML New Democracy have threatened to call an Odisha Bandh.
With Odisha government all set to renew the MoU with POSCO any time this month, which was void (GoO had entered with a MOU with POSCO on June 22, 2005) last month, and PPSS mobilizing activists and national leaders of major political parties to join them from June 17 and their human barricade still guarding the villages of Govindpur and Dhinkia, the battle for Dhinkia seems to be more confronting and imminent.
Meanwhile, the district administration, which was still maintaining stoic silence, came in collision course with anti POSCO agitation by entering the epicenter of the movement i.e. Govindpur on June 10 armed with the forest clearance given by MOEF on May 2, and 22 platoons of armed police. The administration carried out a flag march, which has brought attention from people around the world. The land acquisition process that was stopped by the Union government seven months ago was restarted on May 18 again. A case is also pending in Odisha High Court to prohibit the land acquisition filed by locals.
CM Naveen Patnaik, though has cleared the air saying, “all we need a peaceful land acquisition,” opposition parties are not going to accept the logic, and they have almost announced a state wide agitation. Prominent Activist Swami Agnivesh is visiting the area today to make it a national issue.
Not only the anti-project movement, but also pro-POSCO action committee is at the loggerheads with district administration demanding more compensation, more job assurances and more contracts.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Union Environment Minister Jayaram Ramesh has expressed strong resentment over land acquisition in proposed POSCO project saying, “Forest clearance is no license to forcible takeover of the land.”
Ramesh in his statement said, “I have often said that the environment and forest clearance process should not be used to fight other battles that have to do with important issues like land acquisition, compensation and livelihoods. The POSCO steel-cum-power-cum-port project in Odisha was given environment and forest clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after a great deal of thought and a careful balancing of various factors. However, I hope that the state government will not use this clearance as a license for forcible acquisition of land. This was neither the intent nor the purpose of the clearance given by the MOEF. I appeal to the Odisha government to ensure that land is acquired only through peaceful and law-governed means". (From MOEF Press Release)
While countering the opposition charges the other day state Industry Minister Raghunath Mohanty said, “when people are volunteering to give up their land there is no need of using force, nearly 200 villagers have given written application to the district administration.”
According to Mohanty, “State government has earmarked 3719 acres of land to be acquired for POSCO, out of these private land is about 152 acres and 2958 acres are forest land. Till today we have been able to acquire around 1500 acres of land of Polanga, Nuagaon, Nolia Sahi, Bayanala Kanda, Bhuyan Nala villages.”
Industry minister further said, “the bone of contention has been the 1400 acres of encroached land in the villages of Dhinkia and Govindapur on which we want to peaceful negotiation with the villagers and we are going to compensate them on these lands also; besides these government has already committed to rehabilitee 613 families properly with the best packages available in the country.”
Further, in a dramatic move, people have rebuilt 31 out of 37 betel vines destroyed and uprooted by district administration during the last three days in around Govindpur. They have decided not to accept any compensation from the government.
Ramakrushna Panda, CPI, National Council Member alleged that, “when people like Murali Das, Nira Das and Bichitra Rout of Govindpur were sitting in Dharana against forcible land acquisition their betel vines had been uprooted.”
He further added that, “why the government is in hurry to acquire the land when union government is in process of amending the Land Acquisition Act.”
Though, the ongoing land acquisition for 12MLTA proposed POSCO Steel Plant had been suspended for five days from 12-17th of this month for popular "Rajo" celebration in Odisha's Jgatsinghpur district, the political war has been intensified following the statement of Jayaram Rames, Union Environment and Forest Minister, who has accused Odisha state of forcible land takeover.
While speaking to the press, Dr. B.D.Sharma, former SC & ST Commissioner, said, “it is pity to note that State is utilizing armed forces against its own people those who have elected them, when government’s appointed committees have expressed concern over possible forest destruction, potential disastrous impacts on the environment and an independent study showed that it would lead to a net loss of employment, destitution and impoverishment of around 50,000 people while producing no benefits for the people economy of the state; then how they have given permission to this project.” Sharma added, “It is the people and society on whom the ownership of natural resources lies not the government who is only the guardian.”
Not only POSCO PRATIRODHA SANGRAM SAMITI, which is in loggerheads with district administration, all the opposition parties including Congress and BJP have charged Naveen Patnaik for trying/converting Dhinkia into another Kalinganagar (where 13 tribals were killed by police during anti-Tata Project movement in 2006) by deploying 22 platoons of police and frighten villagers.
Interestingly, Local MP Bibhu Tarai (CPI) along with leaders of five political parties CPI, CPIM, SP, RJD and Forward Block sat on dharana in Dhinkia-Govindpur on June 11 to express solidarity with struggling people. Both CPI and CPIM are the alliance partners of ruling BJD. On the other hand, SUCI, CPIML, CPIML New Democracy have threatened to call an Odisha Bandh.
With Odisha government all set to renew the MoU with POSCO any time this month, which was void (GoO had entered with a MOU with POSCO on June 22, 2005) last month, and PPSS mobilizing activists and national leaders of major political parties to join them from June 17 and their human barricade still guarding the villages of Govindpur and Dhinkia, the battle for Dhinkia seems to be more confronting and imminent.
Meanwhile, the district administration, which was still maintaining stoic silence, came in collision course with anti POSCO agitation by entering the epicenter of the movement i.e. Govindpur on June 10 armed with the forest clearance given by MOEF on May 2, and 22 platoons of armed police. The administration carried out a flag march, which has brought attention from people around the world. The land acquisition process that was stopped by the Union government seven months ago was restarted on May 18 again. A case is also pending in Odisha High Court to prohibit the land acquisition filed by locals.
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