Wasting five precious years in using various tactics, including use of police force, to acquire land for the proposed Rs 52,000-crore Posco project, the Orissa government on Thursday finally mellowed down its stand and agreed to hold talks with the anti-Posco activists.
The new development raised the hope of fruition of the 12-million-tonne mega steel project.
Despite signing a MoU with the Orissa government on June 22, 2005, the Posco has not been able to acquire land at Kujanga near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district because of protests by the local residents. In a crucial meeting convened by chief minister Naveen Patnaik at his secretariat chamber here, Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha member and four MLAs of the district suggested the government to adopt a conciliatory approach instead of confrontation which the government immediately agreed.
The chief minister had convened the meeting after his government was criticised from many quarters for police firing on the anti-Posco activists on May 15.
Emerging out of the meeting, Paradip MLA and state agriculture minister Damodar Rout said the legislators suggested the government to ask Posco not to insist for 300 acres of land at Dhinkia, a village under the project site, and take into confidence the leaders of the anti-Posco organisations.
“The government agreed to the proposal. It was decided that the revenue divisional commissioner (central range) along with district collector and superintendent of police will hold talks with the Posco Pratirodh Sangaram Samiti and a few other forums and sort out problem in three months,” Mr Rout informed. The minister said if no outcome emerged from the RDC level meeting, Jagatisinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai would bring five representatives of the anti-Posco activists for talks.