Setback to PPSS

In spite of threat by anti- Posco activists, nearly hundred families of Gobindpur village in the site of the South Korean company’s proposed mega steel plant in Orissa today met the district collector at Erasama demanding start of socio-economic survey for the project in their village.

This is considered to be a major set back to Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organization spearheading the agitation against the Posco project as Gobindpur along with Dhinkia is perceived as a stronghold of PPSS. PPSS is stiffly opposing the entry of district administration officials for conduct of socio-economic survey for the project in Gobindpur and Dhinkia villages.

In fact, the talks between the PPSS representatives and Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central Range) of the Orissa government had recently broken down with the PPSS insisting on stoppage of the survey work in the site area and shifting of the project from its present location.

Sources said, nearly 150 families of Harijan Sahi in Gobindpur village had been living in constant fear of being tortured and humiliated by anti-Posco activists after being branded as pro-project supporters.

Meanwhile, about 70 to 80 of these families, led by village leader Purna Chandra Behera and Babuli Das, today met the Jagatsinghpur district collector, Narayan Jena and demanded start of project survey work in Gobindpur village. Expressing their plight before the administration these families narrated how they were tortured, humiliated and ostracized by the anti-Posco activists for supporting the Posco steel project.

They said that the villagers have been forced to protest against the Posco project under the threat of the anti-Posco activists, who were imposing penalty on the villagers if they backed the Posco project. These locals urged the district administration to provide security to them.

On the other hand, PPSS leader Ranjan Swain said, “This is the plan of the administration to foil our strategies and weaken our stronghold. However, the administration would not achieve success because the entire panchayat is protesting the Posco survey.”