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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | PPSS leaders reiterate resolve not to leave land for Posco project

PPSS leaders reiterate resolve not to leave land for Posco project

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published Published on Mar 14, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 14, 2011
Despite poor participation of local villagers in the anti-Posco rally organized by Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) at Balitutha, the entry point to the Posco project site near Paradip, the PPSS leaders today reiterated their resolve not to hand over 2900 acres forest land to the South Korean company for its steel project.

The PPSS rally particularly turned into a damp squib as four MPs of West Bengal, who had earlier given their consent to participate in the rally, stayed away from it.

However, about 800 anti-Posco supporters, including women and children, took part in the protest rally under the banner of PPSS. At a public meeting at Balitutha, the PPSS leaders criticized the state government for giving false report to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) regarding non-existence of tribals and traditional forest dwellers in the project site comprising three panchayts of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadkujang in a bid to secure full-fledged forest clearance for the 12 million tonne steel plant of Posco.

The protestors vowed not to give one inch of land including forest land to the project. Though four MPs of West Bengal did not attend the meeting, other Left party leaders attended it.

They demanded immediate withdrawal of the Posco project from Dhinkia area saying it would jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of people who would lose their land and homes. Besides, the water bodies and flora and fauna of the area would bear irreparable loss because of the pollution by this project, they warned.

"We hoped that Union minister Jairam Ramesh will not allow Posco to build a steel plant in these areas as the proposed project was illegal in view of violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Despite adverse reports by two key committees, what was the basis of giving conditional clearance to Posco project? What is the use of spending crores of rupees from the State exchequer by setting up two committees? ", questioned left party leaders.

Villagers including sarpanch of Dhinikia Sisir Mohapatra expressed that villagers have been staying in this forest land dating back 1930 so they need to be treated as traditional forest dwellers because they have been depending on forest land and its produce.

PPSS leader Abhya Sahu said, “The anti -project activists would fight till the last breathe against the government and the company till the project is shifted or scrapped”..

CPI leaders Dibakar Nayak, Ramkrushna Panda, Nityanda Paikaray, RJD leader Hemant Kumar, Samajbadi leader Rabi Behera, Forward Block leader Santosh Mitra, CPI(ML) leaders Pitabash Pradhan, Dushmant Das , Pradipta Sethy , Lok Shakti Abhijan leader Prafulla Samantray, activist Rabi Das, Khandadhar Khani Bachao Manch leader, Bidesini Patel, Krantikari Mahila Sangthan leader Pramila Behera and activists of Lokashakti Adhikari Sangthan, Adivasi Adhikari Morcha participated in the protest meeting.

Pro-Posco outfit conducts parallel meeting

While PPSS conducted its protest meeting at Balitutha, the pro Posco supporters under the banner of Posco Port and Plant Worker’s Union conducted meeting at Polang village, in the proposed project site to press their demands near Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to give final forest clearance in favour of Posco project.

Hundreds of unemployed youths of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada conducted motor cycle rally from Gopiakuda under Kujang block and congregated at Polang. Addressing the gathering, Union leader, Prasan Kumar Mohapatra expressed his solidarity on behalf of the local villagers for setting up of the Posco project near Paradip to change the socio-economic condition of the poor people.

He also sought the cooperation of local unemployed youths and girls to strengthen this newly formed union. Hundreds of unemployed youths from Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur participated this meeting. Interestingly, not a single youth from proposed Posco area attended this meeting because of no support of leaders of pro-Posco outfit active in the area.

The Business Standard, 14 March, 2011, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ppss-leaders-reiterate-resolve-not-to-leave-land-for-posco-project/428397/


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