The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Agnivesh supports POSCO critics

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Monday, Dec 24, 2007
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Agnivesh supports POSCO critics

Special Correspondent

‘Naveen should not treat it as prestige issue’

Villagers of Dhinkia united to oppose steel plant, he says
Flays decision to hand over captive mines to POSCO

BHUBANESWAR: Human rights activist and president of the World Council of Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh on Sunday extended his support to the villagers who were opposing setting up of the proposed steel project of POSCO in Erasama block of Jagatsinghpur district.

“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should not make it a prestige issue by insisting that his Government would go ahead with its plans to facilitate implementation of the steel project at the selected site ignoring people’s opposition,” the Swami said at a press conference here.

The Swami, who visited Dhinkia village in the proposed POSCO project area on Saturday, said that the people of Dhinkia and nearby villages were fully united in their resolve to oppose establishment of the steel plant in their locality.

“The State government should not unleash terror to create a situation that happened in Kalinganagar and Kashipur in the State and Nandigram in West Bengal,” he observed.

Clarifying that he was not against the POSCO project, the Swami criticised the Naveen Patnaik Government for its decision to hand over 4004 acres of fertile and multi-crop land to the company at the cost of people’s livelihoods.

He also took exception to the Government’s decision to hand over captive iron ore mines to POSCO and also allow it to establish a captive port near its proposed steel plant.

“When several public sector undertaking were successfully running steel plants without having a captive port, why should a foreign company be allowed to have one?,” he said.

The Swami informed that a resolution would be passed at the International Arya Maha Sammelan in Hyderabad next month expressing solidarity with the people’s struggle in the three gram panchayats of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang in Erasama block against the establishment of POSCO steel plant.

The four-day Sammelan, which is scheduled to be held from January 3 to 6, would be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil, he informed.

The Swami suggested that the State governments should consider shifting the proposed steel plant to an area near Paradip where around 19000 acres of land was lying unutilised.

If the company sets up the project in that place, it should be asked to use the existing Paradip port, he said.

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