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Survey in Posco area resumes

BHUBANESWAR: The Jagatsinghpur district administration on Thursday resumed land demarcation and socio-economic survey in the area earmarked for the mega steel plant project of POSCO-India amid tight security arrangements.

Six platoons of policemen, who have been camping in the area since November last, were deployed at different entry points to the four villages where the survey work was done in the presence of the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police. “We had deployed policemen at the entry points to keep outsiders at bay and the survey work passed off peacefully,” said Superintendent of Police R.K. Sharma. Work would continue on Friday, he added.

As many as 12 survey teams were pressed into service to carry out the land survey, including demarcation of land earmarked for the proposed steel project, and the socio-economic survey. The four villages where the survey was done partially are Noliasahi, Bhuyanpal, Polang and Gada Kujanga. All these villages come under the Gada Kujanga gram panchayat. All the 200-odd families of Noliasahi will be displaced by the project. The Land Acquisition Officer and the local Tehsilar were present during the survey work.

The survey, which was started a few weeks ago, was abandoned following protest from villagers. It was resumed after the administration held a series of discussions with members of the coordination committee comprising local people’s representatives and villagers.

“We are carrying out survey work by taking the villagers into confidence as this would help in the finalisation of the rehabilitation,” a senior official said.

Although the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti continues its opposition to the plant, the State government has been trying to facilitate implementation of the project. The district administration has been instructed to take steps to get the survey completed as the company had announced to perform groundbreaking on April 1.

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