PPSS to intensify stir at Posco site

The Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) has severely criticized the Orissa government for writing to the Centre that there are no tribals or other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs) in the Posco’s proposed steel plant site near Paradip.

The organization has threatened to launch a state-wide agitation protesting the state government’s stand.

Sources said, in a bid to secure final clearance for diversion of forest land for the Posco project, the Orissa government has recently informed Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) that no tribals or other traditional forest dwellers live in the proposed Posco site and hence, there is no violation of provisions of Forest Right Act, 2006, at the designated location.

However, reiterating their claim that villagers have been residing and earning their livelihood in the forest land since 1930, a factor which makes them eligible to be counted as OTFDs, PPSS leaders have given a call for demonstration at Patana village on Friday where they would burn the copies of “false” FRA compliance report submitted by the state government to the Centre.

PPSS president, Abhaya Sahu said, “the organization has decided to burn copies of the state government’s FRA compliance report submitted to MoEF as it contains false information on existence of OTFDs at the Posco project site”.

He also informed that anti-land displacement leaders, drawn from different political outfits such as the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Forward Bloc, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, CPI-ML, and CPI-ML New Democracy will be united to intensify stir at different places all over the state protesting the state’s stand on implementation of FRA.

Sahu blamed the state government and the district administration for trying to create a division among the agitating villagers and instill a sense of fear among them by arresting anti-Posco activists.

It may be noted, one PPSS leader, Ashok Burdhan was arrested by Kujang police on Wednesday. Police had registered more than 20 cases against him related to Posco violence.

On the other hand, United Action Committee, a pro-Posco outfit active in the project area, has urged the MoEF to give final forest clearance to the project at the earliest so that work on it can begin.