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Work at Orissa Posco site resumes after 10 day break by Nageshwar Patnaik


There is something for Posco finally to cheer about as work at its proposed site for Rs 52 ,000-crore steel project in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district resumed on Tuesday after remaining stalled since June 26.

"Work in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas is going on today," Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena said.

Felling of trees and clearing of forest area and acquired betel-vine farms were continuing in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas, official sources said, adding steps were also taken for ground levelling.

In Polanga-Noliasahi area of Nuagaon panchayat, where rehabilitation colony for displaced people was proposed to be constructed, sand filling and other civil works were in progress, the district chief maintained.

Work had come to a halt after villagers and activists of United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco outfit backing the mega project, staged dharna demanding immediate fulfillment of their six-point demands.

The authorities had agreed to fulfill six-demands of UAC after prolonged talk with Mr Jena on Friday. The UAC had been focusing on immediate fulfillment of six of the 29 demands that among others include; job for one member of each affected family, provision for restoration of traditional livelihoods like betel cultivation and fishing, 30% increase in compensation for betel crop and giving petty work contracts to local youths, increase in land prices from Rs 17 lakh to Rs 25kh per acre and educational facilities for the displaced families.

Mr Jena assured the UAC representatives that all the six demands would be included in the next Rehabilitation Peripheral Development Advisory Committee [RPDAC].

"We have extended full cooperation to the government in land acquisition following talks with senior officials including Jagatsinghpur district collector this morning," UAC secretary, Nirbhoy Samantray said adding that most of their major demands like hike in compensation and jobs to affected families would be considered favourably at the next RPDAC meeting.

Even as UAC gave up its opposition to land acquisition, traditional opponents of the Posco project - Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) and the Bhitamati Suraksha Manch (BMSM) - have stuck to their stand. But their strength is limited to Dhinkia village, which the state government has decided not to acquire.

PPSS members had been staging protests at Dhinkia and Gobindpur and that of the BMSM put up a blockade near Nuagaon. Protesters, however, now pin their hopes on the Orissa High Court's verdict on public interest litigation [PIL] to direct the state government to stop land acquisition for the South Korean steel major.