Posco Ancillary work resumes

PARADIP: Ancillary work for the Posco project resumed at Mathasahi and Sanghai villages under Nuagaon panchayat on Monday, following the two-day break. However, officials returned empty handed from Mathasahi after the villagers offered stiff resistance to chopping of trees. The village forest committee at Mathasahi insisted on fulfilment of the six demands before commencement of the ancillary works, including employment for one member of every displaced family and hike in compensation. The villagers also accused the officials of forcibly chopping down trees.  The proceedings were peaceful at Sanghai where around 500 trees were chopped with cooperation of the villagers. Construction of roads, work on rehabilitation colony, boundary wall and trenches went on uninterrupted at Polang village under Gadakujang panchayat.Members of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti members staged an agitation at Gobindpur to protest the forcible land acquisition for the project. They were joined by hundreds of women and children.Kujang Tahsildar Basudev Pradhan said, except at Mathasahi, ancillary works went on smoothly.