Posco''s health camp causes worry
21 May 2007
CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya''s Hindi speech at Dhinkia, one of the eight villages at the proposed POSCO steel plant site in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, might have been lost in translation to his Oriya listeners, but his message was clear.
"We
are against SEZs and wherever in India the problem exists
we extend our support. The people here and we are against
POSCO. But while Bhattacharya''s words were warmly received
in Dhinkia, in neighbouring Nuagaon village, where POSCO
conducts mobile health camps, people are all for the steel
plant.
"Ninety per cent of the people here take the service
of the health camp of POSCO. Even many people who oppose
the steel plant come and take medicine from the camp,"
said Nalini Kanta Behera, POSCO grampanchyat coordinator.
Running the health camps hasn''t been easy. Just days after three POSCO executives were taken hostage by agitating villagers, the company was told to stop the camp. Villagers are divided on the health camp issue along with political leaders. With a heavy police presence in the area, things could get ugly quickly. POSCO on its part is putting up a brave face.
"When
there are any such mega projects, such small hurdles do
come. We are not upset by it, but we will go ahead with
our project with more seriousness" feels Sashanka
Patnaik, spokesman, Posco India.
But Posco''s project has already been delayed. The construction
of the plant was scheduled to begin in April, but the
acquisition of the 4000 odd acres isn''t complete yet.
Clearly, the Rs51,000-crore steel plant isn''t out of the
woods by a long way.
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