BHUBANESWAR: Land acquisition for Posco mega steel plant was suspended temporarily today in the face of stiff opposition from agitating villagers even as Orissa government launched ground activities for the project near Paradip.District Magistrate N C Jena said the state government decided to stop land acquisition work for the time being in view of tension prevailing in the proposed plant site."This does not mean we have stopped land acquisition. We will resume land acquisition after getting clearance from the state government," he said.Posco, which initially required 4004 acres reduced it to 3719 acres after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that private land of Dhinkia village would be kept out of the project area. The government has been able to acquire only half of it so far in Gadakujang and Nuagaon gram pachayats.About Rs 6 crore has so far been distributed among the land losers, official sources said.Meanwhile, with the state government deciding to go ahead with the proposed project, officials have started ground levelling, sand filling, tree cutting and other activities over 1800 acre of land, official sources said.Chief Secretary B K Patnaik said, "We are starting work in about 1800 acres so far acquired for the POSCO project."He said preliminary works like cleaning and levelling of land have been taken up to make the area fit for launch of construction of the mega steel project.In the meantime, talks are on with various groups to facilitate resumption of land acquisition. "As the state government has decided to undertake peaceful industrialisation, the district administration is told to hold talks with agitating people for motivating them to cooperate in land acquisition," Patnaik said.Additional District Magistrate, Jagatsinghpur, S K Choudhury said foundation stone for a rehabilitation colony for displaced people was already laid near Polanga and Noliasahi in Gadakujang gram panchayat where the district administration had acquired land.Foundation was also laid for construction of boundary walls around the land that mostly housed betel vines in the area amid tight security, he said.Official sources said those engaged in land acquisition have been asked to consolidate hold over the land so far acquired and ensure that the government land were not again taken into possession by villagers.Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the anti-land acquisition body backed by various political parties and trade unions, however, said it would continue its agitation."Our agitation will continue till the state government announces complete stop of its land acquisition work," PPSS president Abhay Sahu said.Sahu claimed that the villagers are determined not to allow Posco project on the fertile land. "We are in fact contemplating extending our agitation to two other gram panchayats of Gada Kujang and Nuagaon."
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