BHUBANESWAR: A four-member independent fact-finding team, led by editor of Mainstream weekly Sumit Chakravartty, has said that the proposed steel plant project of POSCO-India should not come up against the wishes of those adversely affected by it.

Giving details of the team's report here , Mr. Chakravartty said that political dialogue on the concerns related to the entire project should be initiated between the people of the concerned villages and the government, in a conducive atmosphere.

"As a first step towards building such an atmosphere, police and para-military forces, currently deployed in the surrounding areas, should be withdrawn," the team said in its report.

The team that visited the area earmarked for the steel project in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa on April 20 and 21 observed that in the prevailing situation there was every possibility of a confrontation breaking out. Stating that such a confrontation could lead to violence and take the shape of civil war, the team suggested that "every effort should be made by all concerned to prevent an eventuality in national interest."

Emphasising on the need for convincing the villagers who were facing displacement by the POSCO steel project, Mr. Chakravartty said that the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution recognised that any and every planning exercise should begin with the lowest unit or the gram sabhas in the villages.

Observing that these constitutional amendments also gave a complete right to communities to plan the use of their natural resources, which included riparian rights and rights to common property resources, the report said it was important to ensure protection of this right of the villagers in the proposed POSCO project area.

The three other members of fact-finding team are Sridevi Panikkar of Delhi Solidarity Group, Bijulal M.V. of Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, and Manshi Asher of National Centre for Advocacy Studies, Pune.

The team observed in its report that the situation was tense in the proposed project area and there was every possibility of confrontation if force was used to expedite land acquisition.

"There is a clear lack of trust on the part of the local communities towards the local authorities since all decisions and processes in the past two years have been based on consultation between the administration, government and the company exclusive of the affected people."

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