Report by Amarnath Parida, Jagatsinghpur: Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti decided to cast their vote at Trilochanpur and Nuagaon villages by the intervention of state level CPI leaders. After this, panic grief people of Dhinika and Gobindpur villages, proposed Posco project site who were groping for answers since some anti Posco activists have threatened to boycott votes for protesting the shifting of booths have got relief and have expressed their cheer and happiness.
The activists of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti threatened to boycott votes and prevented the entry of different political party candidates to canvass in Dhinkia and Gobindpur villages. PPSS has erected four wooden gates in Dhinkia and three at Gobindpur village to prevent the entry of different party candidates bringing panic among the voters. BJD candidate of Erasama- Balikuda assembly constituency Mr Prasant Muduli failed to enter into Dhinkia and Gobindpur village for canvassing in last week. There was no symbol of election campaigning because of no banners, posters and campaigning.
Sources said that district administration shifted two booths of Dhinika to Trilochanpur and two booths of Gobindpur to Nuagaon villages for free and incident free election. Protesting booth shifting, PPSS threatened to boycott votes and warned the villagers not to go other villages to cast their booths for threat of police arrest and apprehension of clash between anti and pro Posco activists. Similarly activists of PPSS did not allow the party candidates in Posco site for canvassing if they would give assurance to fulfill their demands. The main demands were to release anti Posco leader Mr Abhaya Shaoo, to stop the booth shifting, and to stop illegal police arrest of anti Posco activists.
PPSS organized a meeting at Dhinkia village on Tuesday in which state level CPI leaders including legislator Mr Naryan Reddy, Abani Baral and others participated in this meeting. Secretary of PPSS Mr Sisir Mohapatra presided over the meeting. The main purpose of this meeting was to motivate PPSS activists to change their attitude regarding boycott of votes. CPI leaders convinced the villagers to cast their vote at Trilochanpur and Nuagaon villages while anti Posco activists’ demanded security of these villagers. They asked about the release of anti Posco leaders of Mr Abhya Shaoo, to stop booth shifting and to security facilities to anti Posco activists whom cases are pending against them. Anti Posco activists demanded to give security the villagers of Dhinkia because pro Posco have threatened to attack them.
District unit secretary of CPI Mr Sasibhusan Swain has expressed that PPSS has changed its decision for giving respect the democratic of the people. PPSS has decided not to obstruct the villagers to cast their vote in newly created boothts at Trilochanpur and Nuagaon. He also expressed that the persons who have been involved in criminal cases relating Posco violence issue has asked not to cast their votes for apprehension of arrest by police. It is learnt that 100 cases have been registered against the anti Posco activists of Dhinikia and Gobindpur villages. Mr Swain has clarified that either party or PPSS has not pressurized the villagers of these two village to cast their vote in favour of CPI.