CPI says no to POSCO project in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Apr 28: The CPI today said the party was totally opposed to the POSCO project in Orissa and planned to approach other like minded parties and forums to hold a statewide convention in support of its demand.

Talking to newsmen here, party General Secretary A B Bardhan said the party was against the MoU signed between the state government and POSCO, which provided captive iron ore, captive port and export of mineral ore besides lot of other facilities the multinational company to set up a mega steel plant.

On the recent development over the South Korea steel major taking the initiative to negotiate with the land losers, Mr Bardhan said the POSCO Birodhi Sangram Samitee, spearheading the agitation against the proposed project is not negotiating at all with the POSCO.

Moreover, the CPI, felt that there was any basis for the negotiation as ''our stand on the POSCO project is emphatic no,'' he added.

Mr Bardhan said multinational companies like POSCO or any other big monopoly houses should not be allowed to have captive mining and instead they be asked to procure ore directly from the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC).

The CPI general secretary said in the name of negotiation with the land losers,the state government has deployed nearly 30 platoons of police force at the site to let loose a reign of terror among the displaced people. ''Such a negotiations under threat were a farce and under no circumstances, was acceptable to the party,'' Mr Bardhan remarked and said the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samitee is determined not to allow the government to come and occupy the most fertile land for the POSCO project.

Mr Bardhan said he was glad that veteran Congress leader and three times Chief Minister J B Pattnaik had also strongly opposed the POSCO project and urged both the state and the centre to take note of Mr Pattnaik's statement on POSCO.

He said there would be severe water crisis in the Mahanadi system, once the MNCs were allowed to draw water for their projects.

There would be no water available for irrigation purposes and even for drinking water during the summer season, Mr Bardhan cautioned.

The CPI general secretary also opposed the thousands of acres being given to Anil Agarwal of the Vedant Resources to establish Vedant University, displacing thousands of people from their land.

''The party would soon approach other likeminded political parties to hold a statewide convention on its slogan of 'jal, jangal, jamin and jibika' ( water, forest, land and livelihood), Mr Bardhan said.

To a question, he said the CPI would continue its struggle against the POSCO project both inside and outside the parliament and extend all support to the anti-POSCO agitation going on for over last one year by the local people likely to be displaced by the project.

UNI