Police Force will be used to get the land for Rs. Rs.51, 000 Crore POSCO Project by Orissa Government

Police Force will be used to get the land for Rs. Rs.51, 000 Crore
POSCO Project by Orissa Government

Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) cleared the Rs 51,000 crore POSCO project.

POSCO-India Private Limited is a subsidiary of POSCO, the world’s fourth largest steel producer.


June 2005 –
Orissa Government and POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to set up a 12 MTPA green field steel plant near Paradip, Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa, with an estimated investment of USD 12 billion.
Posco is the biggest FDI project in the country


January 2, 2006 –

Police opened fired on poor villagers and at Kalinga Nagar in which over a dozen tribals were killed during land leveling work for a steel project

The government officers, led by Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Jena, and policemen left the place, but not before pulling down 11 betel vines.

August 2010 –

MoEF halts project, probes alleged violation of forest rights

November 2010 –

Two inquiry panels of ministry recommend temporary withdrawal of clearance; allege gross illegalities, accuse Posco and state govt of concealing information.

Year 2011 –

Pressure from Top that is central government and may be International Pressure got all the files relating to this project got cleared.

Gobindapur is considered the entry point to the proposed plant site.

Protestors have since five years blocked roads and also erected six wooden barriers at Gobindapur, Dhinkia and Patna to prevent police and government officers to enter the area.

Orissa government has re-deployed police force.

Currently, around 23 platoons of policemen are camping in the area.

Over a 100 children are being used as human shields to halt the ongoing land acquisition process.

The children were lying face down in a field in the hot sun facing 20 platoons of armed police.

Nearly 2000 women, children and men have formed a human barricade to prevent the entry of police and administration in the proposed plant area to save their land.

For the last six years people in Dhinkia Panchayat have been demanding relocation of the project.

They say it will deprive them of their major source of income from the betel vines spread across nearly 3000 acres of forest land.

It is a do or die battle for the people in Govindpur and Dhinkia.


When you will start to search information regarding this Project you will realize that
No information is available easily.

How much forest land company will take?
How much money will be paid to the villagers for their land?
What will happen to their rights on forest?

Saxena Committee and the Meena Gupta Committee, constituted by the Union government in their report said that the local people were depending on the 3,000 acres of forest land for their livelihood and were eligible for getting the status of Traditional Forest Dwellers as per the Forest Rights Act 2006.

The Committee in their reports had also said the state government had
violated the Forest Rights Act.


Jagatsinghpur Collector NC Jena said that "The farmers who are not giving away the government land are encroachers and we will take lawful action against them and if required use force,"

Shanti Das, a farmer from Dhinkia village said that We do not need government's compensation. It will get exhausted in few years. Our livelihood is more important. Let the force come we are ready to die for our land,"
She further said that she earns Rs.10, 000 per month and Posco has offered her compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh. Only.

Posco should offer them partnership in the business.
If do not want to give them partnership then Posco should get the land on lease and pay her rent every month.

Few villagers gave the land for mere compensation and now think that they will get the job in Posco steel project.

Thus an owner becomes a slave and servant.

They do not understand land is for forever, land will give them money for all the coming generations.

But job is not forever and job will not be offered to next generations.

Before saying that villagers should give the land for the benefit of India Think before saying this
benefit of India or benefit of Few rich companies and politicicans?

Just think that will you sell your 25 Lakh Rupees home in Rs. Ten thousand

Will you sell your property in loss when you are happy and do not need and want to sell your property?

Do you think very soon we will see the happening of Singur in Orissa?

Reality views by sm –
Friday, June 10, 2011

Keyword Tag – POSCO Land