POSCO's Forceful Land Acquisition: Work halted, villagers claim police excess!

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PTI / The Hindu / PARADIP, July 16, 2011.

Villagers try to stop the armed police's entry to Posco project site in Polang village in Jagatsinghpur district. File photo - PTI.

Work at the proposed Posco steel project site in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district could not be taken up on Saturday due to protest by locals who chased the police leading to a brief scuffle between them.

Though opponents of Posco claimed that five women were injured, one of them seriously, at Mathasahi under Nuagaon panchayat after being beaten up by the police, the district administration dismissed the allegation.

“No police excess was committed as claimed by some people. Police were discussing with people when the villagers used vulgar language and chased them with batons and brooms,” Additional District Magistrate Sarojkanta Choudhury said.

Inspector of Kujanga police station Gupteswar Bhoi said, “Officials along with police force reached the forest area at Mathasahi for felling of trees. They tried to convince the people but the people resisted the police from proceeding”.

Police did not use force nor was any one injured, Mr. Bhoi said.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2232938.ece

KARNATAKA POLITICS: Government deceived farmers under guise of industrial development: Kumaraswamy!

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PTI / The Hindu / HUBLI, July 13, 2011.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy - The Hindu.

JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday accused the Karnataka government of deceiving farmers under the guise of industrial development and threatened to expose its “nexus” with steel giant Posco.

“The BJP government in Karnataka is looting farmland under the guise of industrial development by deceiving farmers and causing huge loss to the state exchequer,” he told reporters here.

He said though the government had exercised restraint in acquiring land in Dakshina Kannada district following protests by locals and NGOs, in Gadag it had cared little for the plight of agitating farmers and had acquired farmland for Posco.

No project should be allowed to come up until and unless it fully compensated the affected farmers and also creates more jobs than it has taken away from the Agricultural Sector!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article2224116.ece

ORISSA FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITION: Work at Posco site resumes after 10 days!

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PTI / The Hindu /  PARADIP (ORISSA), July 5, 2011.

Work at the proposed site for Posco’s controversial Rs. 52,000-crore steel project in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district resumed on Tuesday after remaining stalled since June 26.

“Work in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas is going on today,” Jagatsinghpur district collector N.C. Jena said.

Felling of trees and clearing of forest area and acquired betel-vine farms were continuing in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas, official sources said, adding steps were also taken for ground levelling.

In Polanga-Noliasahi area of Nuagaon panchayat, where rehabilitation colony for displaced people was proposed to be constructed, sand filling and other civil works were in progress, Mr. Jena said.

Work had come to a halt after villagers and activists of United Action Committee (UAC), an outfit backing the mega project, staged dharna demanding immediate fulfilment of their six-point demands including enhanced compensation to land losers and proper rehabilitation.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2161411.ece

FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: Orissa govt in talks with Posco agitators!

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PTI / The Hindu / BHUBANESWAR, June 28, 2011.

Villages sit at the entrance point of Nuagaon village as they continue their protest against the acquisition of their land for the proposed Posco project on June 28, 2011. Photo: AP.

Amid stiff resistance to Posco steel project, Orissa government on Tuesday said talks were on with agitators to resolve the issue as work at proposed plant site near Paradip was stalled for the third consecutive day due to a road blockade at a key junction.

“The district administration of Jagatsinghpur is holding talks with villagers in the proposed Posco plant area to convince them about benefits of the project,” Chief Secretary B K Patnaik told reporters here.

To a query, he said there is no proposal at present for discussion at the chief minister’s level as talks are being held between the district administration and locals on a regular basis to resolve the issue.

Talks with protesters assumed significance as work at the proposed Posco site in Jagatsinghpur district was stalled for the third day with locals staging a road blockade at a key junction pressing for their demands including enhanced compensation to land losers.

“People have blocked the road near Balisahi making it difficult for our teams to proceed for boundary wall and rehabilitation colony construction,” Basudev Prodhan, Tahasildar of Kujang said.

Good, let the project owners pay fair market price for the lands being acquired and also assure a secured 'Resettlement and Rehabilitation' Package to all affected farmers OR provide equivalent land of the same productivity, elsewhere!

Project, however, big in terms of investments shouldn't be encouraged in the name of FDIs, when they create far less industrial jobs than they take away the agricultural jobs!!

After all, every economic developemental activity should assure inclusive growth to all the stake-holders!!!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2142374.ece

ORISSA FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITION: Orissa govt. declares participation of children in ant-Posco stir as illegal!

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PTI / The Hindu / BHUBANESWAR, June 27, 2011.

Children during the anti-Posco struggle in Govindpur, Orissa. Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty - The Hindu.

Orissa government on Monday declared ‘use of kids’ in anti-Posco agitation as illegal after redeploying force close to the dharna site at Gobindpur village, the entry point to Dhinkia area.

Armed police force which had been withdrawn from near the dharna site last week, was again deployed as the State government decided to resume the land acquisition work for the Rs. 52,000 crore project soon.

“We have asked the agitators to clear the road to enable police and officials to move into Dhinkia area.

Preventing government officials from performing their duties is unlawful,” Jagatsinghpur S.P Devadutta Singh told PTI adding protestors should respect law of the land.

Chief Secretary B. K. Patnaik said, “It is illegal to use children in the agitation.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2139173.ece

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Pro-Posco group president resigns!

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PTI / The Hindu.

A villager sprays water on children and women to relieve them from heat as they were lying on the ground during their protest against turning their farmland into an industrial development area for a $12 billion steel plant of South Korean conglomerate Posco in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa, on June 11, 2011 - PTI.

Land acquisition for Posco’s mega steel plant in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur, which was to have resumed on June 17 and remained stalled, was again put off after the president of a pro-project group resigned today.

The resignation of Anadi Rout, president of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), apparently came after resentment brewed among leaders that contractors from outside would be employed for setting up the boundary wall of the project.

The resentment gained ground as some members alleged involvement of a kin of the JAC president in engaging an outsider as contractor on his behalf, sources said.

Officials of state-owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IIDCO) and contractors last night visited Polanga and Noliasahi villages under Gadakujanga panchayat for laying the foundation for the boundary walls.

This socalled Pro-POSCO JAC, after all, is a gang of tekedars out grabbing profitable contracts at the upcoming POSCO Steel Plant!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2120323.ece

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Orissa Govt starts Posco project related work!

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PTI / The Hindu. 

Social activist Medha Patkar shouting slogans with villagers during a protest against Posco in Jagatsinghpur on Monday - PTI.

Unfazed by stiff protest against the Posco steel plant from various quarters, Orissa government on Tuesday announced start of project related work in areas already acquired in Jagatsinghpur district while temporarily suspending further land acquisition.

“We have already acquired about 1,800 acres of land for the proposed Posco plant near Paradip and are beginning project related work in the area acquired by the government,” Chief Secretary B.K. Patnaik told reporters here.

He said preliminary work like cleaning and levelling of the land were now taken up to make the area fit for launch of construction of the Rs. 52,000 crore mega project.

This is a pretty big project for an industrially under-developed and investment starved Odissa;  but what needs to be assured is 100% inclusive growth of all the stake-holders including Environment.

Further, all affected must be resettled and rehabilitated in a transparent manner as befitting to their familial requirement.

Per se, I don't oppose investments but in most cases, the project promoters, with the connivance of corrupt government, would tend to short-change the affected land owners, most of whom are small peasants or fisherfolk by denying the fair market price and in almost all cases the promised 'resettlement & rehabilitation packages' as agreed with the governments would never be implemented.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2123239.ece?homepage=true

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Medha Patkar joins anti-POSCO movement in Orissa!

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Rakesh Dixit  | Bhubaneswar, June 21, 2011 | Updated 10:41 IST / Indiatoday.

Medha Patkar arrives in Bhubaneswar.

The POSCO project in Orissa has hit a roadblock. Mounting protests forced the government to suspend land acquisition for the steel plant on Monday. The move came on a day activist and Ekta Parishad chief P. V. Rajgopal reached Dhinkia, the epicentre of the anti-Posco movement.

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar also arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday on her way to the project area to interact with the protesters and chalk out the movement's future strategy to force the South Korean firm out of the area. "Evicting people against their wishes to help a foreign firm is illegal and unjust. The state government is behaving worse than the British did during the Raj," she said.

Full Story at,

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/medha-patkar-joins-anti-posco-movement/1/142204.html

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Orissa govt halts land acquisition for $12 bln POSCO plant!

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• June 21, 2011 
• IANS 
• Bhubaneswar / DC.

• 
  

• 

• Activists of various political parties hold placard and shout slogans during a protest against POSCO, in Bhubaneswar - PTI.

• 
  

• The Orissa government on Tuesday halted land acquisition for Posco's $12 billion project in Jagatsinghpur due to opposition from locals, an official said.
  "We have halted it indefinitely following the instruction from the government. We will wait for further instruction on the matter," Additional District Magistrate S.K. Chaudhuri said.
  He, however, said work at the land already acquired will continue.
  "The work such as land development, cutting of trees is going on at the acquired land," Chaudhuri said.
  The local administration has claimed to have acquired nearly half of the 4004 acres needed for the steel project in the Jagatsinghpur district, but officials have not been able to enter the troubled Dhinkia and Govindpur area to acquire the remaining land due to strong opposition.
  Governments should stop acquiring land for private projects and also should legislate that the fair market price is paid and the proper Resettlement and Rehabilitation is assured to the affected, whose sole means of livelihoods are affected, adversely!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/west/orissa-govt-halts-land-acquisition-12-bln-posco-plant-763

Forceful Land Acquisitions: Agnivesh offers to mediate in Posco issue!

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PTI / The Hindu. 

Social activist Swami Agnivesh participates in a dharna along members of anti-Posco organisations, in front of the Assembly in Bhuaneswar on Friday. Swami Agnivesh on Saturday offered to facilitate talks between the Orissa government and anti-land acquisition camp. Photo: Lingaraj Panda.

Social activist Swami Agnivesh on Saturday said peaceful settlement of Posco impasse was possible through talks and offered to work as a facilitator between Orissa government and anti-Posco agitators.

“Peaceful settlement of the Posco issue is quite possible. I am willing to play the role of a facilitator for talks between the State government and agitators for a solution,” Swami Agnivesh told PTI.

Expressing solidarity with the anti-Posco agitators, he said there would be no displacement and no loss of fertile land if both the State government and Posco agreed to shift the plant site. It was wrong to allow a multi-national company to have its captive port.

Agniveshji, first and foremost, kindly ascertain that the land being acquired by POSCO, for its Steel Plant is absolutely needed and not a cent of land is being acquired, for real-estate purpose!

please remember that at stake is their sole-means of livelihoods!!

And a sustainable resettlement and rehabilitation must be assured to all the affected families!!!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2115733.ece

Forceful Land Acquisitions: POSCO's Forceful Land Acquisition, Orissa's corporate 'Meria'!

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by Sampad Mahapatra / NDTV.

Can a small minority of 4000-odd people hold the state and the country to ransom? Do they have any right to stand in the way of the biggest Foreign Direct Investment in India, the Rs 52,000 crore South Korean project that would generate huge amounts of revenue and employment and benefit millions of people? Should the Orissa government not take the toughest measures against people who are resorting to cheap means of blackmail by using small little children as human shield? And in the process, embarrassing a government which is only trying to take control over the land it owns and for the larger public good.
 
Valid questions you would say. But travel to Dhinkia, 150 km from Bhubaneswar and your world view may just end up quite different.  
 
On June 9, Govindpur, a small sea-side village hemmed in by sand dunes and hundreds of betel vine farms that dot the sandscape, was fighting both the state and the sun. And what I saw shocked me.
 
Over 300 school-going children in the age group of 5 to 15 were lying prostrate on the hot sand and shouting slogans. Behind them were rows and rows of women and elderly people sleeping on the sand and joining the chorus : Hataao Hataao Posco Hataao ! Barely 200 feet  away, 500 riot-ready policemen were ready to break loose. The SP of the district was busy issuing warnings from a loudspeaker, asking people to disperse or face the music.
 
The sight was revolting. How could people allow their own children to suffer under the scorching sun, I wondered. Have they joined the barricade voluntarily or have they simply been used as human shield? What if they die of a heatstroke? 
 

At stake is their sole means of  livelihoods of their parents and their future as well!

Full Story at,

http://social.ndtv.com/SampadMahapatra/permalink/49821

ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT: Forest clearance no license for forcible land acquisition: Jairam!

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PTI / The Hindu.

Villagers block government officials from inspecting the site of a steel plant proposed by South Korea's POSCO Kujanga block of the Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday - Special Correspondent.

Amid protests by locals against land acquisition for Posco’s steel plant in Orissa’s Govindpur village, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday asked the state government not to use environmental clearance for the project as a “license for forcible acquisition of land“.

“The Posco steel-cum-power-cum-port project in Odisha was given environment and forest clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after a great deal of thought and a careful balancing of various factors.

“However, I hope that the state government will not use this clearance as a license for forcible acquisition of land,” Mr. Ramesh said in a statement.

He said the “intent” and “purpose” of the environmental clearance was not to allow forcible acquisition of land.

“I have often said that environment and forest clearance process should not be used to fight other battles that have to do with important issues like land acquisition, compensation and livelihoods...I appeal to the Odisha government to ensure that land is acquired only through peaceful and law-governed means,” the Union Minister said.

Mr. Ramesh,

This is your response to the ongoing forceful land acquisition by the State government of Orissa, for and on behalf of POSCO Steel & Power project!

Hope your final stand on Nagarjuna Construction Company's proposed 1320 MW thermal power plant, where the Congress government is sending security forces to help N.C.C. to acquire 1500 Acres of wetland that has water throughout the year, including 1000 acres of  Beela wetland, threatening the livelihood of three lakh people and rich biodiversity that this supports, would go by your above spirit.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2098628.ece?homepage=true

Forceful Land Acquisitions: Villagers resist Posco land acquisition drive!

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STAFF REPORTER / The Hindu.

Villagers block the entrance point of the South Korean Steel maker POSCO’s project in Kujanga block of the Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday.

The land acquisition process by the Orissa government for the Posco project in the Dhinkia gram panchayat of Jagatsinghpur district did not make any headway on Saturday following resistance by members of a five-party delegation and villagers.

The gram panchayat remained a hostile region for the district administration that had in the past fortnight stepped up the land acquisition process for the steel plant.

With children and women at the forefront, villagers blocked the land acquisition teams for the second consecutive day, though the administration declared their assembly unlawful.

For five hours on Friday, women and children braved the oppressive sun and did not let the teams backed by scores of police personnel to enter the village.

Alternative route..........................................................................................................

Hundreds of policemen being deployed at the proposed Posco site in Jagatsinghpur. File Photo.

The State's oppression to, forcefully, grab land for industrial investors, denying the fair market price and 'land-for-land' exchange whereby depriving the sole-livelihood of the farmers, tribals and fisherfolk, grossly violating the ruling of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, on these issues.

This has been happening in A.P., Bihar, Rajastan, U.P., West Bengal, Orissa - irrespective of which political party or coalition of them rules.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2095863.ece