Prohibitory order lifted

Prohibitory orders were lifted and police withdrawn from Balitutha, entry point to Posco's proposed plant site near here, today to allow an anti-project meet to be addressed by CPI leader A B Bardhan.

"Probibitory orders clamped on Balitutha area on May 15 was lifted following improvement in situation and permission given for the meeting," Jagatsinghpur district superintendent of police S Devadatta Singh said.

Police, deployed in the area, was also withdrawn to allow smooth movement of people, he said adding securitymen could be redeployed if the situation demanded.

    
Jubilant over the permission granted for the rally, leaders of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) said they would recapture the Balitutha entry 'very soon' and prevent any activity aimed at setting up the Rs 52,000 crore steel project.
    
The decision to allow Bardhan to address the proposed meeting was taken at a review meeting in Bhubaeswar yesterday in an apparent effort not to further aggravate the situation at Balitutha, where several people were injured during a police operation on May 15.
     
"We have cleared the road at Balitutha captured by a group in the name of opposition to Posco project. Now anyone can easily move in the area," the SP said.