Odisha villagers reiterate opposition to POSCO

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Oct 4: The villagers opposing establishment of POSCO steel plant in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha have reiterated their opposition to the proposed steel mill.“It is time to reassure you that our people are continuing their protest unabated against the establishment of POSCO steel plant in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha.We are determined to continue our fight till POSCO withdraws the project from our area,” said Prashant Paikray, spokesperson of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the people’s organisation that has been opposing land acquisition for POSCO project since long.Paikray said in a statement issued to the media on Saturday that “seven years back under veiled threat and false allurements 54 families from our villages had been taken to a transit camp built by the company”.“They suffered a lot in the last 7 years and 42 families out of the 54 came back to their housed in the villages on June 7, 2014.We treat this as an achievement as they have made resolve to strengthen our fight against POSCO.The PPSS members also have helped them rebuild their damaged structures and houses.”In his update on the anti-POSCO movement, Paikray said that the MOU between state government and POSCO has lapsed since July 2010.“But the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), a state government’s agency have acquired 2,772.05 acres of land and handed over to POSCO.IDCO has invited expression of interest (EoI) to conduct socio-economic survey for rehabilitation of displaced families affected by the POSCO project,” he observed.”It is not our area alone.Corporations are eying on land, forest and water in most part of forest rich Odisha.But if we succeed all others will be inspired to carry on the struggle and if we don’t succeed it will certainly demoralise all others,” Paikray added.