Anti-Posco Outfits Observe Black Day Even Steel Project Remains A Non-starter

JAGATSINGHPUR: Even though Posco’s proposed $12 billion steel project is yet to the light of the day, hundreds of project affected people on Wednesday observed black day.

Notably, Posco India and Odisha government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up the steel project, touted to be the country’s biggest foreign direct investment, in Jagatsinghpur district.

The protestors including betel vine growers, anti-project outfits, land losers from proposed project site villages under Erasama block staged a demonstration. They also held a protest meeting in front of Collectorate office here by wearing black batch and waving black flags.

The agitators termed Odisha government had made the MoU with South Korean steel major on 22 June 2005 without considering the ground realities of the proposed project site.

The project received stiff resistance from residents forcing the company to put it on hold temporarily.

The losses sustained by local people following Posco bid would not be compensated either by Odisha government or by steel major Posco, the agitators rued.

The anti-Posco leaders demanded to fulfil their six charter of demands including compensation for betel vine losers, withdraw cases against project opponents, give land to the land losers under Forest Rights Act and stop the boundary wall construction at the project site.

The agitators submitted a memorandum before collector in this regard.