Orissa CPI to launch Jatha against POSCO, Vedant project

Bhubaneswar, Sep 6 (UNI) The CPI in Orissa will launch Jatha from four different locations from September 10 against the POSCO and Vedant projects in the state.

Announcing the party's decision to undertake Jathas, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan here today said his party will fight against all concessions given to POSCO for setting up of a 12 million tonne steel plant and Vedant for establishing an University at over 8000 acres of land.

Mr Bardhan said his party would also oppose vigorously on the establishment of POSCO's private port close to that of Paradip and the exclusive rights of the MNC on the land, water and mineral resources.

The party was not against the use of the raw materials and water for development but for the help provided to the MNCs to have their exclusive rights, the CPI leader said.

He said while one jatha named after martyr Laxman Nayak would commence from Malkangiri, another jatha to be named as Birsa Munda jatha from Khandadhar mines, recommended by the state government for POSCO.

The third jatha, Mr Bardhan said would begin its journey as Veer Surendra Sai from Lanjigarh, where the Vedant had set up its Alumina plant and planned to exploit chromite from the Niyamgiri hills.

The fourth known as Utkalmani Gopabandhu jatha would start from Gadakujang in the coastal Orissa, where the people have been opposing the POSCO project, the CPI leader added.

Mr Bardhan said the four jathas would cover all the 30 districts before culminating here on September 28, where a big rally would be held to be addressed by party's central leaders.

Besides, the jathas would also highlight the utter failure of the state government in tackling the deaths following outbreak of cholera in the tribal dominated Koraput district, where over 500 tribals have died so far and yet the government is reluctant to describe it as an epidemic.

He said the largescale deaths in the tribal belt was a reminder of the malnutrition, polluted water and fake medicines.

UNI