Prohibitory orders were clamped in Posco's proposed mega steel plant site near here ahead of a protest rally planned by anti-project activists.
PARADIP (Orissa): Prohibitory orders were clamped in Posco's proposed mega steel plant site near here on Thursday ahead of a protest rally planned by anti-project activists on April one amidst moves to lay the foundation stone of the plant the same day.
As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed for a period of two months in most of the proposed project site and security is being tightened in the area, Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police R K Sharma said.
While Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced that foundation of the 12 mtpa steel plant would be laid on Utkal Divas day on April one, anti-project activists want to hold a protest rally the same day, he said adding prohibitory orders were clamped to prevent any untoward incident.
Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti+ (PPSS), which has been spearheading an agitation against the Rs 51,000 crore project, has claimed that leaders and workers of different political parties would participate in the rally.
Leaders of Congress, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, NCP and other like-minded parties will join the rally. People from Kashipur, Kalinga Nagar, Sambalpur, Niyamgarh and Lanjigarh are likely to participate in it, a PPSS leader said.
In order to maintain law and order, elaborate security arrangements were being made besides imposition of section 144 on most parts of the three gram panchayats of Nuagaon, Dhinkia and Gada Kujang, Tehsildar of Kujang Debasis Singh said.
Socio-economic survey could not be conducted in Dhinkia gram panchayat as the government team failed to enter villages in the area due to stiff opposition from local residents, official soruces said.
They said land measuring 1225 acres is to be acquired for the project in these areas.
Earlier, prohibitory orders had also been imposed in Balitutha area from November 30 last year to March this year apprehending tension and clash between opponents and supporters of the project.
But again we have to impose section 144 for two months keeping in view the law and order situation, Singh said adding police personnel in strength would be deployed in the area.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}