The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from the State Government on its reported plan to forcibly evict about 20,000 people in Jagatsinghpur district to facilitate the proposed steel project of Posco.

“Please provide information regarding alleged plans by the Government of Odisha to forcibly evict as many as 20,000 people living in Jagatsinghpur district and surrounding areas in violation of international human rights standards and domestic laws,” said a communication from Nalini Ranjan Singh of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to the Chief Secretary.

The ministry wrote to the State Government after receiving a communication from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has sought detailed information on 15 points, including use of force against project opponents, rehabilitation measures for the people likely to be displaced and application of laws governing the Forest Rights Act and environmental clearance.

The council sought to know if a human rights impact assessment was carried out on the possible effect on the people likely to be affected by the project and steps taken to mitigate any potential impact. The council also sought clarification from the State Government about the mechanism to ensure that the displaced people will have access to adequate food, water, sanitation and other essential services, including health care and education.

The Centre has asked the State Government to submit its report by July to the OHCHR. The Steel and Mines department has requested all the departments concerned to submit their compliance reports.

Please Call the Authorities and Stop Forcible Land Acquisition

POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti Urgent Update

4 July 2013

In spite of heavy protest, the Odisha government is continuing the forceful land acquisition for Posco in Jagatsinghpur district. The betel vine owners were beaten up and their vineyards destroyed at gunpoint. The police had used physical force to carry on with the demolition drive despite their protests. Our people protested and refused to give in. However the policemen mercilessly beat them up and pulled them away from the betel vines. Even they didn’t allow our villagers to take back our necessary tools like motor pumps, polythene sheets and other tools from the farm land. The administration is playing double standards. They are using police force to acquire land while making false claims that work was going on with the consent of the people. Our villagers have intensified the stir during last few days and vowed not to hand over ‘a single inch of land’ to the Jagatsinghpur administration. We earnestly appeal you to keep writing and calling the following authorities to stop this forceful land acquisition.
—-

Dear All,

In spite of heavy protest, the Odisha government is continuing the forceful land acquisition for Posco in Jagatsinghpur district. The betel vine owners were beaten up and their vineyards destroyed at gunpoint. The police had used physical force to carry on with the demolition drive despite their protests. Our people protested and refused to give in. However the policemen mercilessly beat them up and pulled them away from the betel vines. Even they didn’t allow our villagers to take back our necessary tools like motor pumps, polythene sheets and other tools from the farm land.

The administration is playing double standards. They are using police force to acquire land while making false claims that work was going on with the consent of the people.

Our villagers have intensified the stir during last few days and vowed not to hand over ‘a single inch of land’ to the Jagatsinghpur administration.

We earnestly appeal you to keep writing and calling the following authorities to stop this forceful land acquisition.

In Solidarity,

Prashant Paikary
Spokesperson, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti
Mobile no-09437571547
E-Mail – prashantpaikary[at]gmail.com

You can call/write to the following :

1. Naveen Patnaik
Chief Minister, Odishas
Tel. No.(O) 011 91 674 2531100,011 91 674 2535100,
011 91 674 2531500, Epbax 2163
Tel. No.(R) 011 91 674 2590299, 011 91 674 2591099,
011 91 674 2590844, 011 91 674 2591100,
Fax No- (91)6742535100
E Mail: cmo [at] ori [dot] nic [dot] in

2. Dr. S.C. Jamir, Governor of Odisha
Fax No- (91)6742536582

3. Shri Jugal Mohapatra , Chief Secretary
E-mail: csori [at] ori [dot] nic

Phone no – 0674 – 2536700
0674 – 2534300
0674 – 2322196
Fax No – 0674 – 2536660

3. S.K. Mallick,
District Collector,
Jagatsinghpur,
Tel: 09437239444,
Fax no: (91)6724220299

4. P. Satyabrata Bhoi, Superintendent of Police, Mobile no-09437094678,dmjsp [at] ori [dot] nic [dot] in

5. Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
Tel no-+9111-23016857
Email: manmohan [at] sansad [dot] in

6. Sonia Gandhi:
Tel Phone no – (91)11-23014161, (91)11-23012656, Fax- (91)112301865, soniagandhi [at] sansad [dot] nic [dot] in

7. Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India,
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg,
New Delhi 110 001,
Tel: +91 11 230 74448,
Fax: +91 11 2334 0016,
Email: chairnhrc [at] nic [dot] in

8. Shri. V.Kishore Chandra Deo
Minister of Tribal Affairs
Ministry of Tribal Affairs,
Room No. 400 ‘B’ Wing, Shastri Bhawan,
New Delhi- 110001
vk.deo [at] sansad [dot] nic [dot] in

9. Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan
Minister of Environment & Forests
Ministry of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road
New Delhi-110003
mosefgoi [at] nic [dot] in