200 arrested for opposing Posco project

About 200 leaders and activists of five political parties today courted arrest here while trying to enter into Orissa Secretariat as part of their civil disobedience agitation against alleged forcible land acquisition for Posco project near Paradip.

The leaders of CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, RJD and Samajwadi Party along with their supporters held a rally on Mahatma Gandhi Road before marching towards the state Secretariat. The agitators were prevented from entering the restricted zone by security personnel.

"The agitators were taken into custody for trying to break law. They were latter freed on personal release bond," said DCP Nitinjit Singh.

Demanding relocation of the proposed Posco project from fertile land in three gram panchayats of Dhinkia, Gobindpur and Gadakujang, CPI state secretary Dibakar Nayak justified their attempt to break laws.

"When the state government breaks laws to acquire land for Posco, we do not see any wrong in civil disobedience agitation by the five political parties," Nayak said demanding immediate halt on use of force to acquire land for the South Korean steel major.

Meanwhile, district administration of Jagatsinghpur today acquired 50 betel vines and distributed compensation of Rs 84 lakh in Nuagaon area of Gadakujang gram panchyat. "So far we have acquired 645 betel vines and distributed Rs 6.85 crore among land losers," said a senior revenue department official