By Newzfirst Correspondent2/3/13

Bhubaneswar – Scores of women and children of Govindpur village were injured in a lathi-charge resorted by the Odisha Police during the early morning of Sunday. After arresting several villagers, the authorities are now carrying out the land acquisition to facilitate much controversial POSCO project, by destroying betel plantations.

According to the sources, 12 platoons of the Police force entered the village at  4 o’clock in the morning, and resorted to lathi-charge when villagers started protesting.

“Scores of people including women and children have been injured in the Police action and many of the villagers have been taken into custody by the Police. The numbers of injured and arrested is yet to be confirmed.” Spokesperson of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti ,Prashant Paikray told Newzfirst.

Villagers including women and children have been sitting on dharna since 14 January not to allow the Police force deployed by the Government to forcefully acquire the land, into the village.

 

The persistent resistance of the villagers against the forcible land acquisition has caused Odisha Government setback in executing Rs. 52000 crore POSCO steel project in Jagatsinghpur district.