Posco''s health camp causes worry

There are worries that things may turn ugly, as Naxal sympathisers and Left wing radicals have now entered the site of the proposed Posco Steel plant in Orissa. Meanwhile, Posco is trying to win the hearts of the villagers, reports CNBC-TV18.

CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya''s Hindi speech at Dhinkia, one of the eight villages at the proposed POSCO steel plant site in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, might have been lost in translation to his Oriya listeners, but his message was clear.

"We are against SEZs and wherever in India the problem exists we extend our support. The people here and we are against POSCO. But while Bhattacharya''s words were warmly received in Dhinkia, in neighbouring Nuagaon village, where POSCO conducts mobile health camps, people are all for the steel plant.

"Ninety per cent of the people here take the service of the health camp of POSCO. Even many people who oppose the steel plant come and take medicine from the camp," said Nalini Kanta Behera, POSCO grampanchyat coordinator.

Running the health camps hasn''t been easy. Just days after three POSCO executives were taken hostage by agitating villagers, the company was told to stop the camp. Villagers are divided on the health camp issue along with political leaders. With a heavy police presence in the area, things could get ugly quickly. POSCO on its part is putting up a brave face.

"When there are any such mega projects, such small hurdles do come. We are not upset by it, but we will go ahead with our project with more seriousness" feels Sashanka Patnaik, spokesman, Posco India.

But Posco''s project has already been delayed. The construction of the plant was scheduled to begin in April, but the acquisition of the 4000 odd acres isn''t complete yet. Clearly, the Rs51,000-crore steel plant isn''t out of the woods by a long way.