Kolkata: The Maoists Tuesday alleged that
the Orissa government and the Centre had violated norms of the
Union Environment ministry for the Posco project and expressed
solidarity with those agitating against it.
"Fact finding by the Saxena committee and the Meena
Gupta committee has proved the existence of forest rights. But
the FRA (Forest Rights Act) is not implemented by the state
government in the area," a press release by Maoists national
spokesperson Abhay, on behalf of it central committee said.
"CPI (Maoist) hails the people of Orissa who are
determined to stop the much-touted 52,000 crore `biggest
foreign direct investment` in India and declares its full
support and solidarity for them," it said.
It alleged that the Centre and the Orissa government
disrespected the resolution of more than 65 percent of
villagers who participated in the palli sabhas of Dhinkia
and Govindpur panchayats which unequivocally rejected the
proposal for diversion of land.
It asked the government to `stop intimidating the
people`, halt land acquisition for Posco and withdraw the
police and paramilitary forces from the project area in
Orissa`s Jagatsinghpur district.
"The overwhelming majority of this country’s
population is rejecting the profit-centric, pro-imperialist
development model and embracing the people-centric, pro-people
development model," the release added.
Work at Posco site stalled for third day
Meanwhile, work at the proposed site in Jagatsinghpur district was stalled for the third consecutive day today as locals staged a road blockade at a
key junction demanding that their demands be fulfilled
including enhanced compensation to land losers.
"People have blocked the road near Balisahi making it
difficult for teams to proceed for boundary wall and
rehabilitation colony construction. We are are looking into
the matter", Basudev Prodhan, Tahasildar of Kujang said.
Balisahi junction is the place from where roads lead
to Nuagaon and Dhinkia panchayts in the proposed Rs 52,000
crore Posco steel project near here.
As a result of the blockade, armed police force were
unable to proceed and are now staying near Mahabirpeetha of
Nuagaon, about four km from Balisahi, sources said.
In protest against felling of trees near Noliasahi-
Polang area, slogan shouting United Action Committee (UAC)
activists were squatting on the road as a result of which
force mobilisation in the area had turned out to be an
Herculean task for the administration.
Construction work for boundary walls and
rehabilitation colony and felling of trees in Noliasahi-Polang
area, where the district administration claims to have
acquired about 1800 acre land, remained affected due to road
blockade by villagers and absence of deployment of armed
police.
Though UAC happens to be a pro-project outfit, its
activists and others in the area have been disrupting work
saying the government was yet to meet their six-point charter
of demands including proper rehabilitation of displaced
people, enhanced compensation to land losers and job to one
member from every affected family.
Police force was also unable to reach
Dhinkia-Gobindpur area where anti-Posco activists under the
banner of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) have been
sitting on dharna.
PTI
