Orissa: Work at the proposed Posco steel project site in Orissa'sJagatsinghpur district could not be taken up today due to protest by locals whochased the police leading to a brief scuffle between them.
Though opponents of Posco claimed that five women wereinjured, one of them seriously, at Mathasahi under Nuagaon panchayat afterbeing beaten up by the police, the district administration dismissed theallegation.
"No police excess was committed as claimed by some people.Police were discussing with people when the villagers used vulgar language andchased them with batons and brooms,"Additional District MagistrateSarojkanta Choudhury said
Inspector of Kujanga police station Gupteswar Bhoi said,"Officials along with police force reached the forest area at Mathasahifor felling of trees. They tried to convince the people but the people resistedthe police from proceeding". Police did not use force nor was any one injured,Bhoi said.
Bhaskar Swain, leader of Bhitamati Surakshya Manch (BSM),however, alleged that the police thrashed the women who opposed felling oftrees in the nearby forests.
One woman was seriously injured in the police action and wasundergoing treatment at the government hospital at Kujanga, he claimed.
A few people, particularly women, were keeping a watchon the forest near Mathasahi to save it from being cleaned and others were sittingon dharna site at Nuagaon.
Taking advantage of the presence of few people in the village,police force had entered the area but were chased away by the people, Swainsaid.
Nuagaon, Gadakujanga and Dhinkia are three grampanchayats inJagatsinghpur district which had been identified for Posco's proposed megasteel plant.