CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday disposed three PILs which were filed separately seeking judicial intervention against alleged high-handedness of police against people protesting the proposed steel plant in Dhinkia area of Jagatsinghpur district.The three petitions had sought protection of human rights of the people protesting against the steel plant.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik said, “The purpose of the court in entertaining the petitions has been somewhat served with the complete details emerging and persons who were apprehensive that their voices may not be heard having been given adequate opportunity either in the form of an oral hearing in the site itself or by way of affidavits.”
Earlier, the Court had provided the people of Dhinkia gram panchayat the option of filing affidavits expressing their views on the steel plant proposed to be set up by Jindal Steel Works (JSW) Ltd.Additional Government Advocate (AGA) DK Mohanty informed the court that altogether 393 affidavits were received as on Thursday.
The bench asked the AGA to forward those affidavits to the Collector who will place all of them along with the video hearing of the meeting that took place on March 5 before the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
A detailed affidavit was filed by the Jagatsinghpur SP, placing on record the details of persons arrested and those anticipating arrest along with criminal cases registered against them.Taking note of it the bench said, “The court would not like to comment on one way or the other on any of the said cases as they would be at different stages pending before different courts”.
Advocate Kshirod Rout and two residents of Dhinkia area - Kuni Mallik and Pratap Rudra Samantaray had filed the PILs separately. Advocates Sukanta Dalai, Omkar Devdas and Prasanta Jena argued the cases for the petitioners respectively.
Jindal Steel Works (JSW) Ltd has planned to construct 13.2 MTPA steel plant in Dhinkia area. Land acquisition and some other initial work is needed before JSW Steel can start operations. But a section of the people in the area are opposing it.