Administration to start acquisition today

Unfazed by the threat of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organization spearheading the anti-Posco agitation, to stage agitation against land acquisition and the decision of United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco outfit to boycott the process, the Jagatsinghpur district administration has decided to start the land acquisition work tomorrow.

The land acquisition, which will be carried out in collaboration with Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa (Idco), would begin after a gap of 10 months.

The district administration conducted its preparatory meeting today with all district officials at Kujang to work out strategies in this regard.

Meanwhile, the administration has formed four teams which will be pressed into service for re-verification, documentation, demolition, and removal of betel vines, prawn hatcheries, standing trees and structures from the encroached government and forest land at the Posco affected villages. Around 60 personnel and officials in four teams will be engaged in this process.

Each team consists of 15 members including nine revenue officials with the remaining officials from forest, horticulture and Idco. The district administration has targeted to complete land acquisition process by June 23.

The land acquisition would continue at Bhuiyanpal and Polang villages from May 18 to 20, Bayanalkanda (May 21-23), Nuagaon (May 24-28), Gobindpur (May 31-June 10) and Dhinkia (June 17-23).

One tahsildar has been deputed in each team as team leader to expedite the land acquisition process while additional district magistrate (ADM) of Paradip, Sarojkant Chaudhry; Surjeet Das, project director (rehabilitation & resettlement); special land acquisition officer Nrusingh Swain and ADM of Jagatsinghpur Upendranath Mallick and two land officers of Idco will be engaged to monitor the land acquisition process.

The Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena has exuded confidence to start the land acquisition from tomorrow with the cooperation of the villagers. The land acquisition will be taken up from 7 am to 10 am to avoid the severe heat wave.

Meanwhile, the district administration has deployed two platoons of armed police at Gadakujang to maintain law and order while 20 platoons of police forces have been kept in reserve at different places at Kujang, Paradip, Trilochanpur, Balitutha and other areas of Jagatsinghpur district to mobilise at the time of any eventuality.

S Debdutta Singh, the district superintendent of police has informed that all arrangements have been completed to start land acquisition process peacefully from tomorrow.

Stern action will be taken against the persons who will create hindrances during the land acquisition and also prevent the officials to enter the Posco site, he added.