Green tribunal order leaves pro-Posco villagers in the lurch

KENDRAPADA: The recent order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) scrapping the environment clearance granted to the Posco project has put brakes on the state government's land acquisition in Dhinkia. However, the nearly 300 pro-industry villagers, who were driven out by anti land acquisition brigades five years back, are not able to return to their homes.
"Five years ago, we were banished to the transit camp at Badagapapur, 15 km from our village, Gobindapur, in Dhinkia, for supporting the Posco project.Now we want to return to our houses. The authorities had assured us a good amount in lieu of our lands. But after the NGT order, land acquisition has stopped and we are unsure of our future. We are the luckless victims of an industrial warfare," said Sangram Padhiari (34), who lives with six of his family members in a transit camp.
Padhiari said they were packed like sardines in 60 tin-covered rooms in the transit camps. "Five years back, 12 makeshift latrines were built by Posco in the camp. Nine latrines were not functioning owing to damaged pipes for the last two years. We live in unthinkable conditions," said Pankajini Padhiari (64) of Dhinkia, who also lives in the camp.
"Anti-Posco villagers assaulted us and drove us out of the village in June, 2007, after we refused to join the anti-industry movement. Since then, we have been residing in the makeshift camp in village Badagabapur. The authorities give us Rs 20 per person per day. Everybody knows it is not sufficient," said Chandan Mohanty (52) of Dhinkia village who resides in two small tin-rooms along with his wife, two sons and a daughter.
"I had four acre land, including a one-acre betel vine farm. We expected to get compensation of about Rs 40 lakh in lieu of my land. I planned to build a house in Kujang after getting the amount. But the NGT directive poured water on my plans, said Prafulla Mohanty (63) of Gobindapur village.
"It is difficult for me to live in two small tin-rooms in the summer with my five daughters, two sons and wife. We had a six-room house in Dhinkia. Anti-land acquisition villagers compelled us to leave our village after I refused to join them," said Santosh Mohanty of village Patana.
"For the last five years, Posco has been paying money to the displaced persons of 52 families. The company has also constructed tin-roofed houses for them. We stopped land acquisition and other works after NGT scraped environment clearance to Posco," said Surjit Das, the additional district magistrate (ADM) of Paradip.
"Some pro-industry villagers, at the behest of some ruling party leaders, left Dhinkia, Gobindapur and Patana villages to get compensation money from the authority. We have no animosity against anybody. We never assaulted the supporters of the project. They are always welcome to return to their houses," said Sishir Mohapatra, the former Sarapanch of Dhinkia and the general secretary of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.