Posco land: BJP at ground zero to take stock

PARADIP: The site of Posco plant has become a hotbed of political action with Opposition parties expressing solidarity with the agitating villagers of Gobindpur and Dhinkia. It was BJP’s turn on Sunday. State vice- president Bimbadhar Kuanr interacted with land losers and discussed strategies with Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) to oppose the ‘forcible’ acquisition of land.   The PPSS, on the other hand, held three meetings with women and children to prevent backdoor entry of officials and police. With women and children at the forefront of the agitation, the State Government has so far found it difficult to break the human barricade even as inclement weather stalled the land acquisition process.   Kuanr argued the rationality behind destroying a well-developed agrarian economy for a steel plant. “Dhinkia and Gobindpur are known world-wide for betel leaf. The villagers will not only lose their livelihood but the drive will cause irreparable damage to the environment,” he said. The BJP has asked the State Government to convene an all-party meeting to assess the ground realities.    Meanwhile, villagers have come up with tales of forcible demolition of their betel vines. It is being alleged that the administration has prepared a fake list of people who have reportedly given consent for land acquisition with false signatures.  The BJP team will soon submit a first-hand account of the on-going crisis at these villages to the leadership at the State and Centre.