Rejecting the demand for shifting the Posco plant site from the proposed area near Paradip, Orissa Government on Saturday asked the protesters to accept the rehabilitation package even as agitators produced several documents claiming their right over the land.
“We have told them in clear terms that there is no possibility of site change,” Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Central Division, P. K. Mohapatra told PTI after holding talks with members of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), which is spearheading anti-Posco agitation.
Villagers should examine the rehabilitation package before rejecting the offer made by Posco, he said.
The marathon meeting, spanning over three-hours at the RDC’s office was cordial, the officer said, adding he received revenue records from the villagers claiming right over the government land.
“PPSS leaders were given copies of the rehabilitation and resettlement policy. They were requested to read it to know if the proposed project will be beneficial to the people,” Mr. Mohapatra said.
PPSS general secretary and sarpanch of Dhinkia gram panchayat Sisir Mohapatra, however, said they have submitted land records and other documents showing that the villagers were in possession of the government land for the last over 75 years.
“How can the government evict the villagers from the land in their possession for the last three generations,” the PPSS leader asked claiming that the documents availed by the people in 1925 clearly mentioned that government land was provided to them for undertaking betel leaf cultivation.
This apart, the PPSS leaders, led by its advisor and Communist Party of India leader Abani Boral, also said that the gram panchayat functionaries from the three GPs told the RDC that no Gram Sabha was conducted in their jurisdiction before according environmental clearance to Posco project.
“Jagatsinghpur District Collector had fraudulently reported to both the State government and the Ministry of Forest and Environment on gram sabha meeting in order to get environmental clearance for Posco prorject,” said Abani Boral.
Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhuprasad Tarai (CPI) who brought the agitating PPSS to the discussion table, said that he was hopeful of finding a way out to shift the Posco project from Dhinkia area.
The protesters also demanded immediate withdrawal of security force from the area and criminal cases slapped against their leaders in order to create a proper atmosphere to carry forward the talks as the government asked the agitators to remove barriers at entry points to the proposed Posco project site.
With both the government and the PPSS exchanging their views, the RDC fixed June 5 as the next date for the second round of talks to resolve the issue.
