The Orissa government suspends the land acquisition for the Posco project in the face of stiff opposition from the people. SIX years ago, when the South Korean steel giant Posco arrived in Orissa with the biggest ever foreign direct investment that had come the country's way, it was expected to help rid the economically backward State of its ‘poor' tag and bring prosperity. Posco had won the $12 billion deal at...

Protest against government attempts to suppress democratic resistance by villagers Police avoid confrontation; no work on construction of boundary wall As Orissa on Wednesday made failed attempts to acquire land for the Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district, five political parties announced that they would begin an indefinite dharna opposing the Naveen Patnaik government's attempts to suppress democratic resistance by villagers who oppose establishment of the project in their locality. The dharna would...

Armed policemen accompanying officials return to their makeshift camps Congress legislators to raise issue during Assembly session Chief Secretary: administration trying to carry out peaceful land acquisition As the agitation continued to intensify over the Posco steel project, the Jagatsinghpur district administration on Tuesday did not acquire any land for the venture but continued the construction of a boundary wall on the land acquired earlier. While senior leaders belonging to the Opposition Congress and the...

The officials were released by Balisahi residents with a warning that they should not return to acquire land In a dramatic turn of events, senior administration and police officials of Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district had a bitter experience on Monday when they went to carry out land acquisition for the proposed mega steel project of Posco. Women took the lead in expressing their anger when they threw their broomsticks at the Additional District...

-The Hindustan Times   The Orissa government on Monday again deployed police force near the Gobindpur-Nuagaon village border, the site of a strident anti-Posco agitation, but withdrew it following widespread protests. Declaring the “use of children” in the protests “illegal”, the government moved in to pave the way for resuming land acquisition for the Korean steel major's $12 billion (R54,000 crore) project. However, the protesters stood firm. Since June 8, villagers have been...