BJP aims to gain foothold in Jagatsinghpur

BHUBANESWAR: Even as land acquisition by the Government for Posco’s steel project has not been possible for more than three weeks following opposition from anti-Posco activists including women and children, the BJP has intensified its agitation against forcible eviction of people from the project site.  As the anti-Posco agitation has gathered maximum momentum, the BJP which has no base in Jagatsingpur district has taken the opportunity to create a foothold in the coastal district where a large number of industries are coming up.  A 15-member committee headed by BJP vice-president Bimbadhar Kuanr visited  Posco site and expressed solidarity with Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti which has spearhead a movement against the project.  Meanwhile, BJP state unit president Jual Oram and Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pani have visited Dhinkia and Nuagaon twice where PPSS has put up human barricades to prevent the entry of Government officials for land acquisition.   The party organised a five-day dharna at the district headquarters of Jagatsingpur from July 4 to 8 to generate public support against the proposed steel project. The BJP has been opposing the project from the start and it will continue to oppose till the Government shifts the project to an alternative site, Oram told this paper adding, his party will raise the issue in the Parliament during the monsoon session.  Oram said his party has decided to stage a dharna near Raj Bhawan on July 13 opposing the project.  Alleging that the ruling BJD is divided on the Posco issue with a powerful section supporting the PPSS, the BJP president said even a senior leader of the ruling party who was so long supporting the project has started his operation to spike the project.  He castigated Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for misusing the Police force to terrorise the locals and illegally acquiring the land even though the MoU with Posco has lapsed.   In absence of any valid MoU, the State Government can not acquire any private land. Oram further referred to recent observations of the Supreme Court in the context of land acquisition in Noida by the Noida Industrial Development Authority in which the Apex Court has declared such acquisition was against the Constitution.  Why the Government is in a hurry to acquire land when the Land Acquisition bill is likely to be introduced in the Parliament during g Monsoon session, he wondered and urged the Chief Minister to stop such illegal acquisition and wait for the new legislation.