Post Office reopens in anti-POSCO stronghold

Odisha Channel Bureau Jagatsinghpur, July 10: People living in Odisha’s Dhinkia village, which was once the hotbed of the anti-POSCO resistance movement, are delighted over the resumption of postal service network.It’s pertinent to note here that the postal service had been suspended from the anti-POSCO stronghold on April 28, 2007 in the face of disturbing and volatile situation in the village following the intense resistance movement against the South Korean steelmaker.The lone village post office at Dhinkia had been shutdown and the then postmaster had been placed under suspension for alleged participation in the anti-plant movement spearheaded by Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS).The Department of Posts resumed the postal services in Dhinkia yesterday because of improved law and order situation in the area.The post office has begun functioning with the posting of a postmaster.People are happy a lot with the development.Many people are visiting the post office, said overseer of Kujang branch post office Basant Barik.“We were forced to close down the post office eight years back as people opposed the suspension of the then postmaster.The department had posted a new postmaster then.But anti-POSCO activists had not allowed him to operate,” he said.The post office would cater to the needs of Dhinkia, Trilochanpur and Gobindpur villages.Earlier, these villages were depending on far off Kujang branch post office.People had to travel to Kujang to receive letters, money orders, the official said.“The reopening of the post office is a positive development.It also signifies the fact that the POSCO project would no more come up in the area.People’s movement against the steel project has tasted success,” said PPSS chief Abhay Sahoo.