Bhubaneswar: With Orissa government
mobilising forces to start forest survey and land acquisition
at the proposed plant site of Posco-India near Paradip, the
anti-displacement agitators are planning a rally to be
addressed by CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan on May 19.
Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena and
Superintendent of Police Debadutta Singh confirmed that
mobilisation of forces were taking place.
"We have mobilised forces in view of the law and order
situation in the area. How can the agitators deny government
servants and police entry to the area?" Jena told PTI.
About 25 platoons (750 personnel) of armed police have
been deployed as well as ambulances and fire tenders in the
area.
Activists of the CPI-backed Posco Pratirodh Sangram
Samiti (PPSS) who have been on dharna since January 26 sought
immediate withdrawal of forces from Balitutha, the entry point
to the area.
"We have drawn up a `lakshman rekha` at Balitutha to
prevent police and government officials from entering the
proposed plant site area," said PPSS General Secretary and
local sarpanch Sisir Mohapatra.
"Our party general secretary A B Bardhan will address
a rally at the proposed site to demand scrapping of the MoU
with the South Korean steel major," CPI state secretary
Dibakar Nayak said.
While all the major PPSS leaders have gone underground
fearing arrest, the second level leaders are coordinating with
those on sit-in at Balitutha.
CPI MLA Adikanda Sethi and others today rushed to the
area to hold talks with the people opposing the Rs 52,000
crore mega project.
-PTI
