stoposco

KalingaTimes Correspondent
Jagatsinghpur, May 15: Communist Party of India Lok Sabha Member from Jagatsinghpur Bibhu Tarai was taken into custody in the wee hours today for venturing into the villages where people were opposing the Posco steel project.

Tarai was stopped and arrested at around 2 am when he was on his way to Balitutha where those opposing Posco project are on dharna since January 26, according to Prasant Paikray, spokesperson of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.

Tarai’s arrest was a preventive measure, police said.

Meanwhile, tension mounted at Balitutha as hundreds of armed policemen had reached to clear the road blockade by the villagers opposing land acquisition for the proposed steel project.

Prohibitory orders had been clamped in the area and district administration officials had reached Balitutha and asked the protestors to end their dharna and vacate the place.

Several senior leaders of CPI had reached Balitutha to express their solidarity with the villagers.

Balitutha is the entry point to the land selected for the Posco project and the Sangram Samiti has announced not to allow the administration or company officials to the place.

Thousands of people in three gram panchayats are facing displacement for the steel project of the South Korean company.