BALASORE: Baliapal police on Monday registered a case against 500 persons for participating in a meeting to protest land acquisition for a proposed petro-chemical project, at Balibila village of Aladia panchayat in violation of Covid-19 guidelines.
Baliapal IIC Bimal Kumar Nayak said hundreds of people participated in the meeting on Sunday when the weekend shutdown was clamped across the district.
Basing on an FIR filed by Baliapal tehsildar, police registered a case against 500 people under the provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act, he said.
The meeting called ‘Praja Meli’ was organised by Upakula Bhita Mati Surakshya Committee (UBMS) to oppose the land acquisition process for a proposed petro-chemical project in the village. The villagers had come together to oppose the proposal.
Coordinator of UBMS Ajay Jena accused the State Government officials of violating the guidelines while conducting surveys and public hearings during the lockdown period.
“We organised the meeting to celebrate the 78th anniversary of Quit India Movement Day and oppose the proposed petro-chemical project. The filing of the case against the villagers is a conspiracy hatched by the State Government to diffuse the anti-petrochemical project movement and discourage people who are opposing it,” he said.
The State Government had cleared a Rs 78,225 crore investment proposal by Haldia Petrochemicals for setting up of a hydrocarbon processing complex in the area in August last year.
The project comprises a light crude refinery, an aromatic complex and an ethylene crackers complex. The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has identified 3,520.21 acre land in Aladiha, Balibila, Chandamani, Jambhirei, Jamunasul and Narayanpur villages in Baliapal block.