Administration may use force to demolish betel vines of anti-Posco villagers

The Jagatsinghpur district administration has decided to serve notice within next couple of days on the villagers of Polang, Bhuyianpal and Noliasahi who have not demolished their betel vines to clear the obstacle at the proposed Posco site for sand leveling and construction of boundary wall for the project.

Sources said many villagers of Polang, Gadkujang, Noliasahi, Bhuiyanpal, Bayanalkanda and Nuagaon, who have been identified as anti-Posco activists, have not yet demolished their betel vines. They have expressed their reluctance to hand over their land to the Posco project.

Meanwhile, the district administration has demolished 315 betel vines and disbursed a compensation of Rs 3.97 crore to the beneficiaries since the beginning of land acquisition process on May 18.

The district administration has pulled down the betel vines of only those villagers who have volunteered to demolish their vines and has carried out the process without the use of any force.

After completion of demolition of betel vines of willing beneficiaries, the administration has decided to serve notification for demolition of betel vines of the unwilling beneficiaries for which force may be used.

Special Land Acquisition Officer, Nrusingh Swain said, “Our officials have demolished the betel vines with the consent and cooperation of villagers and no force has been utilized against the unwilling villagers. After completion of this process, notification will be issued against unwilling villagers to demolish their vines shortly”.

He also pointed out that steps have been taken to enumerate the live trees from the Posco site so that porcelain machine will be pressed into service for cutting the trees and taking up sand leveling work. Later, steps will be taken to construct boundary wall.

He also informed that land acquisition process would be started at trouble torn Gobindpur within one week and expected good response from local villagers.

Panchyat samiti member of Gadkujang cum anti-Posco leader Basudev Behera has said, villagers have sought the intervention of Orissa High Court to stop land acquisition process by filing PIL (Public Interest Litigation).