Korean groups plead halt to forcible land acquisition for Posco project

Korean labour and civil society organisations have asked the Indian government to avoid use of police force in land acquisition for Posco's steel project in Odisha amidst reports of police excesses to stem rising resistance by project-affected people.

''Another round of redundancies in these circumstances, on top of the 400 job losses proposed iThe Odisha government, which restarted land acquisition for Posco's mega project in Jagatsinghpur district on Sunday, was forced to halt it into its fourth day on Wednesday amidst rising resistance from locals, including women and children.n its defence business, is a criminal waste of talent that will create insecurity and damage morale in the workforce.''

School children had joined en masse in the anti-Posco agitation at the proposed plant site in Jagatsinghpur district as the state government renewed its land acquisition with heavy police deployment.

At Gobindpur village where the Odisha government is planning to acquire 700 acres of land held by villagers since last several decades, residents, including women and children, formed a human wall to resist police force and demand immediate return of the acquired land.

"Pherijao, pherijao go back, go back," hundreds of children and women led by CPI national secretary and MP D Raja shouted near the police camp at the village.

"We don't want Posco in our area. We would rather die than work as a laborer in Posco plant.''