Orissa opposition urges PM to shift POSCO proj

Bhubaneswar, Apr 16: Four Opposition political parties in Orissa today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to shift the mega steel plant, proposed by the South Korea steel major POSCO, from the lush green agricultural fertile land.

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, the Orissa Gana Parishad, the CPI, the CPM and the Janata Dal(S) said a 'war-zone' like situation was emerging in Coastal Jagatsinghpur district where the state government was trying to 'terrorise' the farmers protesting displacement for the project.

The Opposition leaders said they were not opposed to industrialization, but felt that there should be a balance between the human rights, dignity and economic growth.

Drawing the Prime Minister's attention to the present unrest at the proposed site for the POSCO plant, they said the movement of massive force in the last few days has made the farmers apprehensive that a repeat of Kalinga Nagar incident, in which 13 tribals were killed in police firing while opposing a steel plant proposed by the Tatas, might take place.

OGP President Bijaya Mohapatra, CPI state secretary Nityananda Pradhan, CPM state secretary Janardan Pati and Janata Dal(S) secretary K C Patra said they were forced to draw the attention of the Prime Minister since '' your office has held as many as five meetings to pursue the POSCO steel plant project''.

''Industrialisation should not be at the cost of the people," the Opposition leaders said adding that the project must be shifted to the barren stretches instead of allowing it in the most fertile land''.

UNI

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