Govt starts land acquisition for Posco project

Orissa today resumed land acquisition for the Rs 52,000-crore Posco steel plant amid tight security, as United Action Committee (UAC), a grouping of villagers earlier backing the project, turned hostile and threatened protests against the drive from tomorrow.

"We have decided to oppose the land acquisition from tomorrow as the district administration did not fulfil our six-point charter of demands," UAC president Anadi Charan Rout told PTI. UAC that claims to have support of 80% of people in villages at the plant site, has demanded increase in the price of land, a job for each displaced family, hike in the rehabilitation package for betel vine workers and others. It did not cooperate with land acquisition during the day. Yet, the Jagatsinghpur district administration along with officials of the revenue, forest, horticulture departments and state-owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation today acquired about one acre of forest land, having 11 betel vine plantations. "Compensation of Rs 17.50 lakh was paid to those who volunteered to part with their land for the project," Land Acquisition Officer Surjit Das said. Besides, during the first phase of the land acquisition, the district administration had acquired about 10 acres of forest land after demolishing 96 betel vines. Rs 1.26 crore was paid in compensation in July-August, 2010, Das said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his happiness over the resumption of the land acquisition drive and said, "land is being acquired by the district administration in consultation with local people. The administration is taking appropriate steps." While there was cheer in the state government and Posco-India''s headquarters here over resumption of land acquisition, the United Action Committee (UAC) has said it would oppose the government drive from tomorrow. Rout said the villagers were angry with the district administration, which went ahead with land acquisition despite their appeal to suspend it till May 30.
District collector N C Jena had yesterday rejected UAC's appeal and given his approval to officials to go ahead with the exercise. Jena had asked villagers to hold a discussion with the revenue divisional commissioner on May 30. "As the personal interests of some some UAC leaders have not been fulfilled, they have turned hostile while villagers support the Posco project," the land acquisition officer claimed. .