Stage set for land acquisition in anti-Posco stronghold

After conducting land acquisition for the Posco steel plant in areas known to be dominated by pro-project sympathizers, the Jagatsinghpur district administration is all set to push forward the process into the anti-Posco stronghold in the project site.

The administration has made elaborate police arrangement to conduct the process at trouble torn Gobindpur village from Tuesday even as the anti Posco activists have formed human chain at the outskirt of Gobindpur village to prevent the entry of officials and thwart any attempt for forcible land acquisition.

However, some villagers of Gobindpur, known to be pro-project, have assured their cooperation to the exercise. In a meeting with officials at Erasama on Friday, they volunteered to pull down their betel vines in government land and hand over land including trees to the administration despite warning from Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) not to do so.

District collector, Narayan Chandra Jena, project director, rehabilitation and resettlement, Surjeet Das, special land acquisition officer, Nrusingh Swain, BDO, Erasama Murlidhar Swain were present in this meeting.

Sources said, land acquisition will be taken up from the pro-Posco zone of Gobindpur village on Tuesday where little resistance is expected. But as the process progresses to other areas of the village, the administration may use force if the anti-Posco activists try to create any trouble.

Hoping that land acquisition at Gobindpur would be trouble free, special land acquisition officer, Nrusingh Swain said, the administration has pressed its officials and machines to expedite sand leveling work at Gadakujang and Nuagaon panchayats where the process is likely to be completed within one to two days”.

After sand leveling, construction of boundary wall will be started within one week from Gadkujang side, he added.

On the other hand, police has made elaborate arrangement to conduct the exercise peacefully. DIG, central range, D.S. Kuttey visited Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchyats and interacted with district superintendent of police S. Debdatta Singh to chalk out strategies for the purpose.

PPSS general secretary and former sarpanch of Dhinkia, Sishir Mohapatra said, “human barricade, formed on the outskirt of Gobindpur, is keeping watch round the clock to prevent the entry of officials. Women and children will be placed in the front line to oppose forcible land acquisition, he added.