JAGATSINGHPUR FEB 05. Civil administration with support of police force demolished at least 21 betel veins in Govindapur village and distributed compensation to the victim land losers on Tuesday. The land acquisition process shattered following hundreds of school children including similar numbers women from trouble torn Dhinkia village staged Dharana at Govindapur village on Tuesday afternoon and opposed the land acquisition works for the south Korean steel major.they refused to allow the destruction of the villagers betel veins and immediate withdrawal of the police force from the Govindapur village.
In an another significant development anti Posco leader Abhya Sahoo launched an indefinite hunger strike at Patana Hat from Tuesday , the anti Posco leader claimed the civil administration bid to acquire land is outrageous and illegal attempt and direct attack and seize the land of villagers by force and it ought to be stopped.
A BJP 5 member’s team headed by party’s vice president Ashok Sahoo had visited proposed Posco site Dhinkia and Govindapur villages on Tuesday and held discussion with civil administration and project opponents villagers and shared dais with anti Posco leaders sponsored protest meeting held at Patana village on Tuesday afternoon. Speaking on the occasion the BJP leaders described our party is not against the Posco project but it opposed the forcible land acquisition and appealed to the state government not to forcible acquire the land and demolish betel veins from the farmers, they remarked.
Progressing the betel vein destruction in Govindapur village on consecutive third day civil administration launched the drive on Tuesday morning and pushed peacefully in presence of police force but trouble erupted when hundreds of school children and women rushed to the Govindapur outskirts entry point to the Dhinkia village and prostrated on the sand to prevent entry of armed police force to Dhinkia village and protested the ongoing land acquisition and lauded withdrawal of the police force from the Govindapur village.
The agitation stalled the betel vein demolition drive, civil administration pleaded that no land will acquire in Dhinkia village and we are retrieving the government land that is under encroachment and paying reasonable compensation to the betel vein losers. The answer did not satisfy the agitated protestors as consequence confrontation was erupted between civil officials and protestors as result police forces were invited and the spot turned violent for few hours then the BJP team headed by Party vice president Ashok Sahoo rushed to the spot and held discussion with the agitators and civil administration and brought the situation under control and administration halted the betel vein demolition and police force and civil officials returned to their base camp on Tuesday afternoon. moreover report said that the protestors are still continuing their agitation at the spot and informed government to withdraw the police force else things will take ugly turn for which government will responsible, they threatened.
However administration is no mood to push back the betel vein demolition drive in Govindapur village as many as 41 betel veins have been demolished and compensation about Rs 93 Lakh have been paid to the victims in past three days as the situation is turning favorable the land acquisition process will continue further, informed district collector.
