PPSS suffers setback

In a setback to the anti-Posco
movement, Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti(PPSS) backed sarpanch candidate lost the panchayat elections in Dhinkia gram panchayat, situated in the plant site, to the ruling BJD candidate.
The result of Dinkia gram panchayat election was declared today.
"The polling was held at Dhinkia gram panchayat peacefully yesterday. There was about 87 per cent polling," Jagatsinghpur district collector S K Mallick said.
While Nayak was supported by ruling BJD, Dei, who is a relative of Sisir Mohapatra the PPSS secretary, was backed by the Samiti. When Nayak secured 2263 votes, Dei bagged 1864 votes.
Candidates of 11 out of the 23 wards in Dhinkia gram panchayat were elected unopposed, while 28 candidates had contested the rest 12 wards.

Posco supporters claimed that the people have given their mandate in favour of the project by voting for Nayak. The PPSS on the other hand dismissed it saying the sarpanch election will have little impact on the anti-Posco agitation.

To buttress their point, the PPSS pointed out that the BJD-supported candidates got maximum votes from Mahala and Trilochanpur villages which would not to be affected by Posco project.
Nayak said she would ensure that people in the proposed plant site villages got their pensions, PDS items and other assistances given by the government, which they could not earlier due to lack of a regular sarpanch in the area.

District administration sources said peaceful polling was possible mostly because pro and anti-Posco villagers in Dhinkia are now at peace after the return of 46 families to the village from the transit camp.