Calling for an immediate end to bloodbath and loss of human lives, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik on Sunday asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to wake up from his slumber and shift the Posco project site to elsewhere.
“The Chief Minister should show some concern for the loss of human lives. We are saddened by the plight of people who continue to suffer due to the apathy of the State Government. This must end,” Niranjan said.
Expressing shock at the death of three persons in a crude bomb explosion on Saturday, the PCC chief said, “We repeat our demand to shift the plant site to another nearby locality which is not too far from the present one and is also vacant.” The Congress party has always maintained this and earlier last month a 17-member delegation, led by the PCC president, had submitted a memorandum to Governor M C Bhandare demanding immediate steps to stop police atrocities and goondaraj of ruling party activists. The State Government has failed to keep its promise that there would not be forcible land acquisition for the steel project and the administration has been evicting people with the help of police.