A group of concerned citizens, led by Odisha Jana Sammilani president Rabi Das and prominent social activist Bhagabanprakash urged the Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to intervene and stop the growing use of police force for acquisition of land for different industries in the State.

In a memorandum submitted to Mr Bhandare at Raj Bhavan the activists highlighted the barbaric action of the police against those opposing the POSCO steel project in Jagatsinghpur and TATA Steel project in Kalinganagar in the recent weeks. Maintaining that the State government was out to use force to ensure forcible acquisition of land for the two projects, they requested the Governor to call for a meeting between the organisations spearheading anti-displacement agitation in the POSCO project area and Kalinganagar and the State government in order to save the unarmed villagers from the armed police.

The policemen were resorting to lathicharge at frequent intervals in their efforts to help the administration carry out survey work and acquire land for the steel projects.

(Sourced from Hindu)