Other States - Orissa   

Tension continues in Kalinganagar

On the offensive: Jual Oram, president of BJP State unit addressing a media conference in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

BHUBANESWAR: Even as Kalinganagar – the upcoming steel manufacturing hub of the State – was simmering in tension over construction of a common corridor road, two major opposition political parties, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Friday accused that Naveen Patnaik-government was thrusting upon industrialisation on tribals.

In two separate press conferences, the two major political parties said the situation in Kalinganagar was extremely precarious with many injured villagers languishing in their homes as administration had denied them access to health facilities.

“The police force at the behest of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had spread absolute terror in Kalinganagar area in order to benefit a private steel manufacturer. If the tribals have been opposing a certain projects, their views should be patiently heard. Instead goons of Biju Janata Dal backed police were terrorising the local populace,” said BJP State President Jual Oram here.

Mr. Oram said the BJP team that went to Kalinganagar returned with bitter experiences. “Our women members were misbehaved by goons while police remained silent spectators. Neither the BJP members nor any media teams were allowed to gather first hand information about helplessness of stranded villagers ,” charged the BJP president.

If the State government was so serious on providing security to infrastructure projects, the seriousness should have been reflected on construction of bridge connecting cut-off area in Malkangiri or another bridge to connect Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Oram said.

He charged the common corridor road in Kalinganagar industrial complex was being constructed amidst heavy deployment of police to help out private company.

The police showed extreme hostility by setting ablaze household articles and food of people, Mr. Oram said.

Speaking to media, Prakash Devta, who led a fact-finding team of Congress party, said the team was prohibited from entering the villages, which were surrounded by police. “Some of the injured persons to whom the team could meet said they were not extended any health services ,” Mr. Devta said.

Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee demanded relief and medical facilities should be immediately extended to tribals who were targeted by police in their attempt to force industrialisation. Posters branding a few activists as Maoists were handiwork of police force, he charged.

If the State government failed to take action for correcting its misdeed, a bigger people's agitation would be built up across the State, said the former minister.

Meanwhile, Samrudha Odisha, another regional political outfit, came down heavily on Naveen Patnaik for mishandling of Kalinganagar situation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Olive ridleys face brunt of sea erosion
Street play to create awareness about process of census
Tension continues in Kalinganagar
State-level meet of voluntary blood donor groups next month
Social activists, Left parties accuse police of torturing villagers
Maoists set off claymore mine in Narayanpatna
One killed as truck rams into shop
Two cases of baby swapping reported from SCB hospital
Two killed in road accident, irate mob sets lorry on fire

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu