Orissa government redeploys police force at Posco site

The Orissa government today redeployed police forces and hinted of action if protesters continued to prevent movement of officials at the proposed Posco steel project site. A day earlier the government had declared assembly of anti-Posco agitators at entry point to Dhinkia area near Paradip as ''unlawful.

Forming a three-tier human barricade at the entry point, villagers opposed to the project refused to give away their land for the steel plant as 23 platoons of police (about 800 personnel) were redeployed in the area, according to official sources.

Police had been withdrawn from the area yesterday following the district administration of Jagatsinghpur undertaking efforts to persuade the agitators to allow the movement of officials in the area for land acquisition work for the project, they added.

The villagers refused to yield to the efforts and stayed put at the spot with children on the forefront and women and elderly persons following them.

Vowing to continue opposing the project, a school student said he along with his friends would continue to block the road in the blazing sun to deny entry to police and officials.

With the government's appeal to the agitators falling on deaf ears, the district collector of Jagatsinghpur, N C Jena, said  appropriate action could be taken if repeated efforts to persuade the protesters to disperse, failed.