Seven years after they left their homes at the peak of the anti-Posco stir, 30 families today went back to their native place from a transit camp set up by the South Korean steel major near its proposed mega project in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district.
Members of 30 out of the 52 families, who had been staying at the transit camp at Badagabapur near the proposed plant site, have so far returned to their native village Patana, Additional Superintendent of Police (Paradip), Madhabananda Sahu said.
The occupants of the transit camp, who had left their homes in June 2007, were keen to go back following improvement in the situation, according to Additional District Magistrate (Paradip), Ramakrushna Sahu.
The rest 22 families are also getting ready to return to their village soon, said both ASP and ADM, adding that necessary assistance would be provided to the families for their rehabilitation.
Joyous over their homecoming, the returnees said this was possible after talks with village seniors and assurance from Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the organisation spearheading the anti-Posco agitation, that no harm would be done to them.
"We were forced to leave our homes. We are now going back as PPSS has promised to extend cooperation and help for our rehabilitation," said Suresh Muduli while leaving the camp.
Similar views were expressed by other camp inmates Madha Mohanty, Ranjan Mohanty and Pahali Muduli.
Welcoming the return of the villagers, PPSS leader Abhay Sahu said those who are going back to their native place would be provided all help.
Dubbed as supporters of Posco plant, the villagers had been virtually driven out of their houses allegedly by anti-project activists seven years ago, locals said.
The development assumes significance as it came ahead of the ensuing panchayat election scheduled to be held in Dhinkia early next month in which the anti-Posco brigade is fielding its nominee, sources said.
