Revoke suspension order of Dhinkia sarpanch Anti Posco activists demanded

Revoke suspension order of Dhinkia sarpanch Anti Posco activists demanded 31/03/2012

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA, BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS,ODISHA

ODISHA NEWS/BHUBANESWAR:

The anti-Posco villagers have cheered after hearing the verdict of National Green Tribunal for suspension of environmental clearance to Posco steel project by demanding immediate scarping of Posco project and urged the lifting of suspension to the sarpanch of Dhinkia panchyat.


The National Green Tribunal has been suspended the green clearance to Posco's mega steel project in January 2011 on today. Conditional green clearance to Posco project by MOEF despite difference report by Meena Gupta and Saexena Committee and suspension of this green clearance by Green Tribunal after expediting land acquisition process from 2011, has been met with bouquets and brickbats.


The decision of MOEF shocked activists and environmental experts — including those who were part of the Ministry's own inquiry committee — leaving them outraged by the “farcical” nature of the order, which they say, supports violations of the law while the then Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had granted a final forest clearance to Posco’s Rs. 54,000 crore integrated steel project in Paradip, He also urged action against the sarpanch of Dhinkia Mr. Sisir Mohapatra for giving false report on palli sbaha.


The activists of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti have been vowed that it would not accept the Ministry's verdict. They threatened not to give up our lands, our forests and our homes to this company. Their stir has been continued so that government has not yet acquired one inch land from Dhinkia area.


It may be recalled that this project, India's single largest foreign direct investment, is the result of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Orissa government and Korean steel giant Posco in June 2005 which has been expired since two years. It had received environmental approvals in 2007 and a forest clearance in 2009, but after numerous protests from local people and environmental experts, the Environment Ministry set up a four-member inquiry committee and ordered the State government to stop land transfer to Posco.


After getting green clearance for MOEF in 2011, land acquisition process has been continued in Gadkujanga and Nuagaon panchyats ingoing Dhinkia panchyat due to people’s resistance.

‘Welcoming this verdict, PPSS activists have strongly criticized the then union Minister Mr. Ramesh and Odisha Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik for selling the livelihoods of 4,000 people, and the laws of the land, to the highest bidder. The real truth has come out by the intervention of Green Tribunal so PPSS activists have urged to scarp this project- said assistant secretary, PPSS cum ex- panchyat samiti member Mr Prakash Jena.


As per the direction Union Minister Mr. Ramesh, Sarpanch of Dhinkia gram panchayat and secretary of PPSS Mr Mahapatra was suspended by district Collector for allegedly misleading the MOEF with regard to the Palli Sabha resolutions against acquisition of forest land for the proposed steel mill. The district administration had issued a show cause notice to Mr. Mohapatra on May 24 and on May 26 issued an order of suspension against him for violating Orissa Gram Panchayat (OGP) Act-1964 and resorting to the fraudulent act of preparing and furnishing a fake palli sabha resolution.


Mr. Jena clarified ‘the resolution which was submitted by the then sarpanch Mr. Mohapatra was not fake and genuine which has been proved on today’s verdict so that his suspension order should be lifted by the state government ‘.he added.


On the other hand, Mr. Mohapatra has also welcomed the verdict of Green Tribunal so we have demanded to scarp this Posco project. I have not wanted the post of sarpanch but I have determined to intensify stir against Posco project as a member of PPSS.


Leaders of United Action Committee, a pro Posco outfit Mr. Nirvay Samantray and Tamil Pradhan remarked about the uncertainty of mega Posco project for frequent suspension of forest clearance so it has been happened due to lack of coordination between both state and union governments .