PARDIP: The JSW Utkal Steel Limited’s 52 MTPA steel plant project in the district is yet again faced with opposition with a section of villagers and public representatives of Dhinkia panchayat passing a resolution to not allow the industry to come up on their land. A Palli Sabha was held on Tuesday where the opposing groups termed the establishment of JSW plant on Posco land illegal.
The State Government should have returned the land to people as no project could be set up on the land within five years of its acquisition. "Since the new project will jeopardise livelihood of villagers, we demand scrapping of the project," they said.
Villagers and elected representatives of Dhinkia on Tuesday passed a resolution to protest against setting up of the plant on their fertile forest land, which is a source of their livelihood.
Panchyat samiti member Debendra Swain said, "We also passed a resolution not to give an inch of land for the plant. A memorandum will be submitted to the State Government for scrapping the project. The Government is yet to learn any lesson from the protests against the suspended Posco steel project during which five persons were killed. It should not create law and order situation by setting up the JSW plant forcibly."
In December last year, the State Pollution Control Board conducted a public hearing at Gadakujang for obtaining environmental clearance without the participation of villagers of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayat, he alleged.