UAC members oppose Posco package

The members of the United Action Committee (UAC), considered to be a pro-Posco outfit, have strongly opposed the company's compensation package for loss of betel vines, prawn gheries and cultivable land at the proposed project site.

The UAC members have taken exception to the company's move to fix the compensation without consulting the locals.

Posco India, which is setting up a 12-million tonne per annum steel plant near Paradip, on Wednesday had announced its compensation package through advertisements on local dailies.

The company has decided to offer a compensation of Rs 7000 per decimal of land for loss of betel vines, Rs one lakh per acre of prawn gheries and Rs 75,000 per acre of cultivable land. It has also announced the rehabilitation packages for the daily labourers who are working in betel vines.

The UAC members, who expressed their discontent over the compensation announced by Posco, have threatened to intensify their stir against the Posco project unless their 29-point charter of demands are fulfilled.

The UAC members had demanded a compensation of Rs 15000 per decimal of land for betel vines and Rs five lakh per acre of prawn gheries.

They questioned as to how Posco could fix a compensation of Rs 7000 per decimal of land for betel vines when the same company had disbursed Rs 10,000 to 75 betel vine losers of Nuagaon in 2007.

Earlier, the district administration of Jagatsinghpur had asked the affected villagers to collect Posco' s applications for compensation by February 10.

UAC has asked the affected villagers not to apply for the compensation package.

Meanwhile, the Posco India officials communicated the company's decision on compensation packages to the sarpanchs and panchyat samiti members of three panchayats, namely Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadkujang through letters on Wednesday.

The villagers of Dhinkia and Gobindpur burnt these letters as a mark of protest against the Posco project.

Nrusingh Swain, special land acquisition officer of Paradeep said that only 21 persons have applied for compensation against loss of betel vines by February 10.