Anti-Posco agitation gets a jolt in Gobindpur

In an apparent setback to the five-year long anti-Posco agitation, about 50 people of Gobindpur village, hitherto known for their opposition to the project, today supported the mega steel plant project and asked the authorities to take up survey work in their area, officials said.

"Residents of came to my office and submitted a written memorandum urging us to start survey work as the villagers are supporting the project," Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena told PTI over phone.

Gobindpur village under Dhinkia gram panchayat, so far considered a bastion of anti-Posco movement, had changed its stand as the people of nearby villages have already supported the project, he said.

Some of the villagers disclosed that they were terrorised by activists of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), Jena added.

Though the administration was yet to decide when to start survey at Gobindpur village, people today invited local police officials to their village defying PPSS order that restricted entry of police and government officials into Dhinkia gram panchayat area.

"We have so far completed survey work in five of the seven villages identified for the 12mtpa mega steel plant," said Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), central division, P K Mohapatra.