Anti-Posco leader released on bail

After being jailed for ten months, anti-Posco leader and president of the Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organisation spearheading the anti-Posco movement, was released today on conditional bail by the Orissa High Court.

The release of Sahoo has brought cheer to the people affected by Posco’s proposed steel project in the state. Sahoo, who played a key role in the anti-Posco movement was arrested by the Paradeep police on October 2 this year while returning from Hyderabad to Dhinkia village in Jagatsinghpur district.

The Kujang police had registered 36 cases against Sahoo on charges of kidnapping, illegal possession of arms, bomb explosion, assault and humiliation to women, violence and other criminal activities in the proposed areas of the Posco project.

Out of the 36 cases, 11 cases were pending in the Orissa High Court and the remaining 25 cases at the first class judicial magistrate at Kujang.

Meanwhile, the Orissa government today ruled out any possibility of change in the proposed site of the 12 million tonne greenfield steel project near Paradeep to be set up by the South Korean steel major Posco in Orissa.

“I think it is an error. Posco is going to be set up at the site where it is at the moment near Paradeep,” chief minister Naveen Patnaik told media after his return from New Delhi. Patnaik maintained that there was no move by Posco-India to either pull out from Orissa or move out of the proposed project site near of Paradeep.

It may be noted, the Orissa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Posco in June 2005 for the setting up of the steel plant near Paradeep. However, the project couldn’t make headway due to the resistance of the local people.

On the issue of the mining scam being enquired by the state vigilance, Patnaik said, law will take its own course. Vigilance is enquiring into it and stern action will be taken against those found guilty, Patnaik added.