Kalinga Times reported that the Visthapan Virodhi Janmanch, leading the tribals agitation against displacement due to industry, announced to intensify its stir against the proposed TATA steel plant at Kalinga Nagar by laying a siege to the proposed construction activities.

The Janmanch's announcement came in wake of the agitating tribals rejection to the district administration's invitation for the second time for a meeting over recommencement of the proposed TATA steel plant works.

The district administration had invited 17 active members including office bearers of the Janmanch for its meet at the Neelachal House in Kalinga Nagar for the second time on Friday. But the outfit stayed away from the meet by sending just a letter to the Jajpur Collector in response to latter's invitation to the former saying that they would not participate in any talk unless their seven point charter of demands are fulfilled. The tribals had also rejected the district administration's invitation for the same meeting on June 7th.

On the other hand, the Janmanch organized a meeting with various organizations which are extending their support to it at Ambagadia, in which thousands of tribals including women and children, participated with traditional weapons in their hands to decide their future course of action. The meeting vowed to fight against displacement in the area. They announced not to give an inch of land to TATAs for the proposed 6 million tonne per annum steel project in the Kalinga Nagar steel hub.

Mr Rabindra Jarika general secretary of Janmanch said the Jajpur district administration had been acting as an agent of TATA company rather than the representative of government.

Mr Jarika said “The collector has written us in a letter to facilitate the company's construction work in Kalinga Nagar. We have been opposing TATA since the January 2nd 2006 police firing where 14 of our fellowmen were killed while opposing forcible land acquisition by the TATAs. Mr Naveen Patnaik CM of Orissa had held discussions with the Kalinga Nagar tribals twice in the past but they yielded no results. When the Mr Patnaik failed to fulfill our demands, how can a district collector do the same? Talks can only begin if our seven point charter of demands was fulfilled.”

(Sourced from Kalinga Times)