Paradip: Work remained stalled for the
fourth consecutive day on Tuesday with villagers stepping up
protests at the Posco steel project site in Orissa`s
Jagatsinghpur district.
"Work remains suspended in the area. Discussion with the
people is continuing. We are hopeful of a consensus and the
work will start soon," District Collector N C Jena said.
Initially, with the cooperation of pro-industry outfit
United Action Committee (UAC), land acquisition, ground
levelling, construction of boundary wall and tree felling went
on for a few days.
Resentment, however, brewed among villagers affiliated to
UAC over the issue of compensation and other amenities.
They demanded fulfilment of a six-point charter of
demands before work went ahead in the area.
As a result, Nuagaon area, barely three km from Dhinkia,
has turned out to be a new botheration as villagers under the
banner of Bhitamati Surakshya Manch are sitting on dharna with
women keeping a watch to prevent felling of trees.
Meanwhile, anti-Posco organisation Posco Pratirodh
Sangram Samiti (PPSS) leader Abhay Sahu said, "If needed, PPSS
will agitate at Nuagaon as well if the government attempts
tree felling in the area."
PTI
