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National Fishworkers' Forum supports anti-posco stir

BERHAMPUR: National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) has expressed its solidarity with the anti-Posco movement in Jagatsinghpur district. Speaking to The Hindu during his visit to Ganjam district on Wednesday, NFF president Matanhy Saldanha said both the Orissa government and the Centre should blamed for promoting the proposed project of the South Korean company at the cost of the livelihood of thousands of families including that of marine fishermen living in the area.

The proposed steel project of Posco would endanger the environment and livelihood of marine fishermen extensively, he said.

The Naveen Patnaik government in Orissa as well as the Environment Ministry of the Union government were only trying to protect the economic and strategic interests of Posco.

“It seems they have surrendered to the interests of the company totally ignoring the ground realities,” he said.

The NFF was worried over the fact that fishing community of the area would suffer due to the proposed Posco project but their worries have not been taken into account. The NFF activist felt the declaration of alternative livelihood for the fishermen would not be useful.

The NFF activists were worried over the clearance given to the company to set up a captive minor port and a Special Economic Zone in the coastal region.

Fervent plea

Mr. Saldanha also criticised the Orissa government for promoting more than a dozen new minor ports on Orissa coast through private sector at the cost of environment and livelihood of fishermen although the existing ports of the State remain underutilised. He requested both the government to protect the interests of the fishing community and the common mass.

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