Other States - Orissa   

POSCO critics stage demo

Special Correspondent

State accused of letting down project-displaced

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

UNDER SCANNER: A large contingent of police force protecting the POSCO office in view of the demonstration by Anti-POSCO activists in Bhubaneswar on Monday. –

BHUBANESWAR: A large group of people belonging to various political parties and social organisations staged a demonstration outside the POSCO-India office here on Monday demanding winding up of the company’s operations in the State.

Holding bamboo sticks and brooms, the activists, including many women, raised slogans against the Korean company’s proposed mega steel plant and captive port project near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.

Addressing the demonstrators, leaders of different organisations criticised the State Government for its efforts to hand over the rich mineral resources to POSCO and other private companies.

They also blamed the government for facilitating implementation of the POSCO steel project despite strong opposition to the project by villagers in Jagatsinghpur who were facing displacement.

The government should refrain from facilitating implementation of the project as it was likely to affect the livelihood of thousands of families in the proposed steel plant site spread over three gram panchayats of Jagatsinghpur, they said.

The demonstrators were also critical about the granting of Special Economic Zone status to the proposed steel plant project of POSCO-India.

The State government has not been able to acquire land for the proposed steel plant in Jagatsinghpur so far due to continued people’s resistance to the project.

However, nearly 50 families from one of the villages under the area earmarked for the steel plant have now come out in support of the steel project.

The administration and the steel company are currently taking measures to rehabilitate these families who had left their village following differences with those opposing the project.

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