'Orissa to renew MoU with Posco-India soon'

The Orissa Government said on Thursday it would soon renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korean steel major Posco for its proposed steel plant near Paradip.
"The Steel and Mines department has already received the recommendation of the Law department in this regard. The nodal department will soon invite Posco for renewal of the MoU," Orissa's Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty told reporters here.
The MoU signed between the state government and Posco-India on June 22, 2005 had expired after completion of the fixed five years tenure on June 21, 2010.
Though nine months had since passed, the state government had not been able to renew MoU with Posco-India mostly due to addition of some new clauses, sources said.
This apart, the minister said that the department was also considering whether to fix the tenure of MoU for five years or extend it. 


sourced from  The INDIAN EXPRESS

protestors dug up all roads leading to the area, preventing police entry.

About 200 people were injured during police operation,says Abhay Sahoo PPSS president.

 Paradip(17.05) : During the police operation at Balitutha on 15th may, about 200  people were injured as the police fired rubber bullets, used batons and  tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.most of them are elderly men and women.they are being treated by  some village youth with little knowledge of treatment, as they are scared to go out fearing arrest by police.people fear that police would arrest them finding injury on their bodies,Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti  president Abhay Sahoo said.
                    While few  shopkeepers of Balitutha injured in police action, underwent treatment at balitutha and kujang hospital, none of the  villager went to any hospital.As armed police men guarding the entry point to there villages near Balitutha and trilochanpur round-the-clock, several persons injured in the clash with police on Saturday chose to treat under the guidance of nonprofessionals  instead of going to hospitals.

police crossed laxmanrekha ,set fired anti posco dharana camp at balitutha

Paradip:(report by D.P.Pattanaik)More than 50 people, including few policemen, were injured in a clash on Saturday as violence flared between police and anti posco protester near Kujang(Balitutha bridge).Earlier,on Friday night police arrested Jagatsinghpur MP Mr Bibhu prasad Tarai as preventive measure from Dhinkia as he was there to give moral support to the protester.Police also arrested former Balikuda MLA Mr Umesh Swain,while he was trying to enter Balitutha dharana spot today during police action against the protesters.hundreds of CPI activists have demonstrated at Paradip,paradipgarh, Kujang and Erasama police stations and blocked the road at Kujang paralyzing traffic on Cuttack-Paradip state Highway. Congress leaders Mr p.k.jena,Mr R.C.Samantray along with former legislator of Erasama Mr Bijay Nayak have also gheraoed paradip police station and condemned undemocratic action taken by police.

Police opened the rubber bullet firing and fired tear gas to disperse the protester from Balitutha Bridge, entry point to proposed Posco site, which was captured by Posco Pratirodh Samiti activists since 26th January. after warning to evacuate police waited five hour,and started firing tear gas. anti Posco activists pelted stone and hurled bomb to police personnel in which few police officials have injured and more than 50 activists including women have injured by rubber bullet and lathi charged by police. Police personnel have set fire on their camp at Balitutha Bridge in which ten houses and shops have been gutted. Three gas cylinders have exploded due to fire mishap destroying the property over two lakhs. Meanwhile, police has captured the Bailtuha Bridge which was the clutches of PPS activists since five months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqCNpy8AkU