Their sit-in demonstration at the outskirts of Gobindpur of the project site near Paradip in Jagatatsingpur district has intesified. A large number of women, children and elderly persons are participating in the protest to protect their farm lands which Orissa Government officials want to acquire for the project.
The land acquisition officials have not been able to enter the troubled torn areas of Dhinkia and Gobindpur villages so far despite deployments of nearly 20 platoon of police personnel at the site.
Odisha’s Industries, Steel and Mines Minister, Raghunath Mohanty, said that that the government would not use force on the protesting people to acquire lands. He said no unpleasant situation will be created in the Posco project area.
Meanwhile, a team comprising leaders of the CPI, CPI-M, Forward Bloc, RJD and Samajwadi Party visited the protest site today and extended support to the protesting villagers.
South Korean steel major Posco had signed an agreement with the Orissa Government in 2005 for a 12 million tonnes per annum steel plant, the largest foreign investment in India, near the port town of Paradip, about 120 km from Bhubaneswar. The company requires about 4,004 acres of land for the project, of which 2,900 acres are forest land.