Tata project: Bastar CPI leader detained

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Feb 24 (UNI) Police today detained former CPI MLA Manish Kunjam as a preventive measure after the residents of six villages of Lohandiguda block in tribal Bastar announced to convene 'gram sabha' to oppose land acquisition for the integrated steel plant of Tata group.

Official sources said Mr Kunjam, a former legislator of undivided Madhya Pradesh, had now been kept at Kotwali police station here after he was detained while on way to Lohandiguda villages to join the protest by the locals.

Bastar district administration has deployed heavy police force, including para-military personnel, after the six gram panchayats announced to hold 'gram sabha' meetings to adopt resolution opposing land acquisition for the proposed Tata Steel plant.

The district administration had declared the proposed gram sabha meetings as illegal and also issued notices to the panchayats concerned, pointing out that it was in contravention to the provisions of Panchayati Raj Act.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Neelkanth Tekkam, in his notice, pointed out that the gram sabha had already met in July and August last year to discuss about land acquisition for the proposed steel plant and hence the gram sabha, convenyed by six gram panchayats, had no logic and legal sanctity, the notice said.

Amid presence of heavy police force, a group of people of Belar and Takraguda villages gathered and adopted a resolution opposing land acquisition for the Tata project, according to Mrs Sukali, Sarpanch of Belar gram panchayat.

However, official sources said no such resolution was adopted as villagers gathered beneath a tree and later left the scene. Such resolutions have no legal sanctity.

The Tata group is planning to set up a five million tonnes annual capacity greenfield integrated steel plant in the Bastar region- one of the most backward and naxalite infested tribal areas of the country.

The state government is also keen to speed up the process for setting up of this steel plant as it felt that the mega steel plant would help generate employment opportunities in the tribal areas, boost economic activity and eventually help contain naxalism in Bastar region.

UNI