Anti-Posco leaders oppose South Korean Prez visit

Progress of Posco steel project in Odisha also set to figure in bilateral talks

The Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organisation spearheading the agitation against the Posco project near Paradip in Odisha, organised mass rallies at Dhinkia village to protest the visit of South Korean President Park Gyun-hye to India.

They burned effigies of Park Gyun-hye, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union minister for environment & forests Verappa Moily to give vent to their anger. The South Korean President reached India on Wednesday on a three-day visit and is scheduled to hold talks with Singh and corporate leaders to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

The progress of the Posco steel project in Odisha is also set to figure in the bilateral talks. PPSS leaders including the villagers of Dhinkia have protested the visit of South Korean President. They also flayed Moily for granting environment clearance to Posco to build its steel project. Thousands of villagers of Dhinkia, reiterated their opposition to the project. The protest meeting was held at Patana haat in Dhinkia.

Addressing the gathering, anti-Posco leader Abhaya Sahu said, “We are not protesting the South Korean President's visit for talks regarding the economic ties between the two countries. We are opposed to her talks with the Prime Minister on expediting Posco related work at Paradip.”

“Our aim is to send out the message to her that the Posco project is being developed after demolishing our houses and depriving us of our livelihoods,” Sahu said.

Other PPSS leaders took exception to the Odisha government’s stand to recommend the grant of prospecting license (PL) over Khandadhar mines in favour of Posco.