PPSS Update. Dhirendra Gourishyam Panda

During the recent visit of South Korean ambassador to India Kim Joong Keun to Odisha, he said that POSO may reduce the capacity of production of the proposed steel plant in case they do not get all the land needed. POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) strongly opposes this shrewd new formula of the POSCO. We make it clear that our people are not going to be befooled by it. The land that government has acquired for the project till now has been done at the gun point. People have been given false promises and cheated. One can come to Gada Kujang and Nuagaon areas and see the helpless condition of people whose land government has taken by force and by fraudulent means. We demand all the land which have been taken by the gove…rnment should be returned to people.

After the environmental clearance to the project was suspended by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the company has closed down its field office from Noliasahi. But we want the company to completely pack up and go from our area.

Our leader Narayan Reddy and seven other friends are still languishing in jail in false charges. PPSS reiterates its demand to release them unconditionally.

We have come to know that despite the suspension of the green clearance, the state government may still resume land acquisition in June. We will oppose any such move tooth and nail.

In the mean time the members of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited our area and took stock of the situation. It has found the breach of promise by the government made to the people whose lands have been taken and said improper rehabilitation and not providing regular allowance until employment is given to people amount to human rights violation. While we appreciate the note taken by NHRC, we demand that forceful usurpation of sources of livelihood of people is still more serious form of human rights violation and NHRC should take note of this.

 

The NHRC has ordered 5 lakh rupees compensation to the wife of late Tapan Mandal who was killed by the pro-POSCO goons during the clash. The government and Red Cross had given a compensation of 60 thousand rupees to her, which NHRC found to be grossly inadequate.

We are continuing our Dharana near Govindpur village and will continue our peaceful demonstration till the project is scrapped.

Kindly circulate this mail widely.

In Solidarity,

Prashant Paikary
Spokesperson, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti
Mobile no-09437571547
E-Mail – [email protected]