With the second round of talks between the Orissa government and anti-Posco groups failing on Saturday, it is expected that the issue can now be sorted out with the intervention of the chief minister, Naveen Patnaik.
The discussion, which was held under the chairmanship of central range revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), Pradipta Kumar Mohapatrs, could not proceed further as the Posco PratIrodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) iterated its demand for shifting of the project. The PPSS representatives demanded the fertile land should not be given to Posco for the steel project.
The negotiations on Staurday, in fact, started on a bitter note with the PPSS strongly protesting the government action at the site.
?The talk has reduced to a farce as the government is continuing with its oppressed measures in the villages that would be affected due to the project,? said the PPSS general-secretary, Sishir Mohapatra.
Stating that they do not have faith in the district administration, the PPSS representative demanded that the next round of talks be held with chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The five-member delegation of the anti-Posco groups led by PPSS general-secretary, Sishir Mohapatra, and CPI leader Abani Boral participated in the discussion in presence of Jagatsinghpur CPI Lok Sabha MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai. The leaders of the PPSS strongly objected to the survey work being carried out by the district administration and said the police lathicharge on the villagers opposing the survey on June 2, 2010, has caused widespread resentment among the villagers living in the proposed Posco site.
The district administration has completed almost 90% of the survey work in Gadakujanga gram panchayat, while it faced some opposition in Nuagoan grampanchayat.
Meanwhile, the CPI state leadership has made it clear that the party would extend support to the ruling Biju Janata Dal in the Rajya Sabha election if the latter toe the party?s line on Posco project.
