PARADIP: Continuing their protest against laying of pipelines by IOCL on the disputed land, residents of Dhinkia village on Sunday erected fences around the site of the Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline (PHPL) project.
Though IOCL had started work on laying of pipes for the project, the villagers said the company had not sought their permission before carrying it out. They have been demanding fulfilment of their six-point charter of demands including jobs, drinking water, road, street light, healthcare services, land for the landless and withdrawal of cases against anti-Posco protestors.
On January 12, the Orissa High Court had directed the Collector of Jagatsinghpur to resolve issue by March 1. Despite the intervention of the court, IOCL started laying the pipes on the land on Saturday but its officials were prevented from doing so by the villagers. The villagers erected bamboo fences to restrict entry of IOCL officials into the site. The village committee has also deployed locals near the site to keep a watch on trespassers.