Public protest against the Posco project in Orissa on Friday received a boost with social activist Medha Patkar deciding to join it even as the state government ruled out any forcible acquisition of land for the Rs 52,000 crore mega venture.
Patkar's decision may further stall the already delayed land acquisition process. "People have the right to protest...without local people's consent how can the government acquire the land? It is a gross human rights violation," Patkar said, adding "I will be there to cooperate with them soon."
Read: How much land does the govt need? Sources close to the Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, however, said she may join the protest as early as this Sunday.
"The land acquisition is going on in an undemocratic manner at proposed project site in Jagatsinghpur district. The administration should understand that land acquisition cannot happen at gun point. It should happen only through proper dialogue with the local people," she claimed.
Notwithstanding the growing clamour by social activists and the project-affected people for scrapping the project, the state government put up a brave face, saying it was least worried as it would not go for forcible acquisition of land and try to convince the locals how the project will benefit them.
"We are not under pressure....not worried about anything, as we have decided not to acquire land forcibly from the people. We are trying to motivate people to allow setting up of the mega steel project for the benefit of state as well as the local community," Orissa Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty said.
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