JAGATSINGHPUR Apr 23. Despite pliable protest by Posco opponents Jagatsinghpur district administration resumed land acquisition for the Posco project on second consecutive day on Tuesday , at least 13 betel veins were dismantled and compensation tune of Rs 18 Lakh paid to the vineyard losers, however about 236 cashew nut trees were axed for clearing land for the south Korean proposed steel project.
According to the district collector Mr S K Mallick told media persons that the land acquisition process resumed on Tuesday morning at Govindapur village, villagers gave up their betel veins voluntarily and axed cashew nut trees existed on few betel veins and received compensation from district administration officials, moreover the land take over process resumed peacefully without any palpable resistance form anti project people, collector said.
While sources informed about one hundred Posco opponents were converged at Govindapur village and opposed the land acquisition, they claimed the state government is ignoring our protest and working for the Posco Company, we would go to any extent to democratically oppose it, on reply civil official clarified that we are not forcibly acquiring land the people who wants to give up their Betel veins are being acquired after paying due compensation. After holding few hours protest the project opponents returned to anti Posco bastion Dhinkia village.
However in response to current land acquisition process few betel vein growers from Dhinkia village and its hamlet Patana have appealed district administration sacrificing land, but trouble surfaced following state government has excluded Dhinkia from the project ambit, quoting villagers desire collector Mr Mallick said as in present scenario Posco needs 2700 acres land, the required land has already been available at Govindapur, Nuagaon and Gadakujanga villages, if Posco needs any further land in future the land acquisition would be held at Dhinkia and Patana hamlet after getting government’s nod, collector informed.
