Many Arrested for Anti-Posco Stir

Rabi Ray,Ex Speaker addressing

 Hundreds of anti-Posco activists arrested on Friday in Bhubaneswar when they were marching towards the chief minister’s residence, demanding scarping of the proposed mega steel project immediately by the Orissa Govt.

Marching towards CM Residence

The two days Satyagraha ends with the arrest where twenty five leading people’s movement forum and civil society organization of the country took part to show their solidarity for the affected villagers of the proposed project.

Civil Disobedience

Eminent Gandhian and the National Convenor of Azadi Bachao Andolan, Prof Banwarilal Sharma vehemently criticized the State govt. saying the govt. is violating its own law. He further said there is a law in the country that no project will come up within 5km as per the Coastal Regulatory Zone [CRZ] laws but in case of Posco project its completely ignored. The South Korean company aims to recover its whole investment of Rs 52 thousand crores within 8 years where remaining 22 years left to exploit the iron ore from the State @1.5 billion per year.

Krishna Mohanty,Manoj Jena in police van

Mr Rabi Ray, the former speaker of Lok Sabha recalled his first protest in proposed project area in the year 2005 along with eminent sarvodaya leader late Manmohan Choudhry. If the Naveen govt. will continue for another couple of years, all the natural minerals will be finished soon, he cautioned.

The demands include withdrawal of police from the project area, repeal of 1894 Land Acquisition Act, respect the Forest Rights Act 2006, follow the recommendations of Saxena and Meena Gupta Committee appointed by the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment and scrap the MOU of captive mines and private port for the company.

The leaders and forum who actively participate and support the cause were Amarnath Bhai, Ex president Sarva Seva Sangh, Kumar Prashant, Rastriya Yuva Sanghthan, Mumbai, Bibekananda Mathen, Jana Sansad,Wardha, Prafula Samantara, Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Krishna Mohanty, Bajirout Chatrabas, Narayan Das,president, Utkal Sarvodaya Mandal,Rabi Das,Odisha Jana Samilani, Prerana Desai, Mumbai, Yamini, Wardha, Mithilesh Dangi,Chatisgarh, Lingaraj Azad, Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti, Khetramohan Mahant, Bistapita Mukti Bahini, Prashant Paikray,spokesperson PPSS etc.

The program convened and coordinated by Dr Biswajit, Rastriya Yuva Sanghathan Manoj Jena of Odisha Nagarik Samaj and Nishikant, Orissa Soochana Adhikar Manch.