Orissa government proposes exclusion of 300 acres of land at Posco site

The Orissa government on Thursday proposed to exlude around 300 acres of private land from the site earmarked for the steel plant project of Posco-India in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa. It also proposed to initiate a dialogue with villagers opposed to the project.

Orissa  chief minister Naveen Patnaik made the proposal for exclusion of the land falling under the Dhinkia gram panchayat at a meeting of the MP and legislators from Jagatsinghpur, according to sources.

The sources further added that the chief minister said the dialogue with agitating villagers would be held at the level of the revenue divisional commissioner (central division).

While the legislators attending the meeting to discuss the Posco issue were from the ruling Biju Janata Dal, the Lok Sabha member representing Jagatsinghpur seat belonged to the Communist Party of India (CPI), which is backing the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.

According to a CPI leader his party would clarify its stand on Patnaik's proposal today. He added that the proposal was aimed at weakening the democratic agitation of the people and to facilitate the implementation of the steel project.

Patnaik yesterday said his government would advice Posco not to acquire the private lands of the people.