BJP ups the ante against Steel Plant

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Wednesday sought intervention of Governor MC Bhandare into the alleged forcible eviction of poor farmers from their land by the Government to facilitate the Posco steel project. Extending support to the local people agitating against the project, leaders and activists of the party staged a dharna near Raj Bhawan. Later submitting a memorandum to the Governor, the party said eviction was carried out by the Government without any rehabilitation measures.   Alleging that the land acquisition is illegal, the BJP said the MoU signed with Posco had lapsed in June last year.  The Government is forcibly acquiring land from  the poor peasants without any valid agreement with the steel major. The district administration is forcing the villagers of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats in Jagatsinghpur district to blindly sign on the papers, the party said. Opposing the swapping of iron ore clause in the lapsed MoU, the BJP said while small and medium steel industries of the State are purchasing raw material from the State-owned OMC, an overseas company should not be allowed to export ore for its Korean plant. The Korean steel major has proposed to use the latest technology in steel-making. The proposed 12 million tonne capacity steel project will be a fully automated one. So there will be little scope for employment of the local people who will be deprived of their home and hearth, the memorandum said. The party also opposed the Government’s plan to supply water from the Mahanadi to the steel project. If this happens, farmers in the downstream areas will be seriously affected, the memorandum said. The party urged the Governor to save the affected people by using his good offices.