Exclusion of Dhinkia may not ease Posco problem

The Orissa government's decision to leave aside 300 acres of private land at Dhinkia in Jagatsinghpur district for the beleaguered Posco project may prove to be a costly affair.

It is felt that the state government cannot go ahead with the Posco project by excluding 300 acres at Dhinkia which forms a major chunk of private land needed for the project.

It may be noted that out of 437 acres of private land required for the project, 284 acres land comes under Dhinkia village while 67 acres was to be acquired at Gobindpur village under Dhinkia panchyat.

Nirvaya Samantray, secretary, United Action Committee (UAC), a purportedly pro-Posco outfit said, Posco project would not be possible by leaving Dhinkia village as a major portion of the private land which was to be acquired for the project belonged to the village.

“The decision of the state government to exclude Dhinkia is a setback for the Posco project as majority of the private land needed for the project is at Dhinkia”, said a revenue official on the condition of anonymity.

With the state government deciding to leave out private land at Dhinkia for the Posco project, the villagers have demanded the exclusion of the entire Dhinkia panchayat including Gobindpur village.

“The villagers earn their livelihood by cultivating betel vines, cashew and fish not just on 300 acres of private land but on thousands of acres of government land. The government cannot allow Posco to set up its project on forest land which sustains the livelihood of the locals”, said sarpanch of Dhinkia Sisir Mohapatra.

The Posco project needs 4004 acres of land in all out of which 2900 acres constitute forest land. Of the 2900 acres of forest land, 1700 acres is spread over Dhinkia and Gobindpur villages.

Meanwhile, the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organization spearheading the anti-Posco agitation in the state, has said that the government's move to leave out Dhinkia is not acceptable.

PPSS leader Abhaya Sahoo said, “The state government should clarify its position on the exclusion of private land at Dhinkia for the Posco project. The villagers are determined not to allow the Posco project at the site by destroying betel vines which is the main source of their income”.

As per a survey report prepared by the district administration in 2008, there were 1961 betel vines covering an area of 394.39 acres at the Posco project site which includes 455 betel vines covering 85 acres of private land in Dhinkia. Besides, villagers of Dhinkia are cultivating betel vines, cashew and others crops on thousands acres of government land.