Women join shift Posco stir, 6 injured

PARADIP: Six anti-Posco women activists were injured in police lathicharge in Nuagaon panchayat on Monday. Two villagers were also arrested as tension gripped the proposed project site of Nuagaon following police action.Sources said, hundreds of women activists under the aegis of Bhitamati Surkhya Manch are staging a dharna at Nuagaon, entry point to the project site, demanding shifting of the Posco project to an area seven km from the present site. Even as the protests continue the district administration expedited Posco-related work like felling of trees and construction work at Nuagaon amidst presence of armed police.On Monday, the district and Posco officials led by Additional District Magistrate Surjeet Das were at the site to expedite chopping of trees and construction work when the women gheraoed them. Police claimed that they had to resort to lathicharge to disburse the agitating women. The injured women were admitted to Balitutha hospital and later shifted to Erasama hospital in a serious condition.The villagers who intervened and prevented the entry of district officials and the women were arrested by Kujang police and produced in court. Nuagaon Sarpanch Bhaskar Swain condemned the police action. The ADM, however, said  “Police disbursed the women activists who prevented the entry of officials to Nuagaon and no injury has been reported. Two villagers were arrested when they assaulted government officials.”