Talks on Posco rehabilitation a non-starter

The talks which were scheduled to be held today between the district administration of Jagatsinghpur and the Posco affected villagers at the Gadakujang panchayat office on the company's rehabilitation package turned to be a non-starter.

The talks were paralyzed as the district officials did not dare to cross the 'lakshman rekha' (line of demarcation) drawn by the anti-Posco activists at the Balitutha bridge, the entry point of the Rs 54,000-crore Posco project to bar the district officials and the Posco authorities from entering the site.

Hundreds of villagers who turned up at the site, expecting talks on the rehabilitation package, went empty handed, criticizing the officials of the district administration, who they felt bowed to the threats of the anti-Posco activists.

Earlier, the members of the United Action Committee (UAC), a purportedly pro-Posco outfit in the project site area had sent a message to the district administration to start dialogue with the district officials on April 9 at 10 am at the Gadakujang panchayat office.

Nirvaya Samantray, secretary, UAC said, “The villagers are disappointed as the officials of the district administration did not turn up for the meeting.”

On the other hand, a senior police officer said that there was no preparation for the meeting as police forces were not deployed at the site to disburse the anti-Posco activists, leading to the cancellation of the meeting.

According to Nrusingh Swain, Special Land Acquisition Officer of Paradeep, the date of meeting has been deferred due to the absence of senior officials.

In a parallel development, hundreds of anti Posco activists today staged a dharana at the Balitutha bridge, protesting the entry of the officials to the Posco site.

Sisir Mohapatra, the Sarpanch of Dhinkia panchayat warned that the district administration would be responsible if the officials forcibly enter the Posco site by crossing the 'laxman rekha’ at this bridge.