By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PARADIP: A public consultation at Dhinkia Panchayat over upcoming proposed project was concluded with a positive finding here on Saturday.
The meeting was conducted in the presence of the Jagatsinghppur Collector, the superintendent of police and a committee sent by the Orissa High Court. Notably, the public consultation witnessed a significant support from Dhinkia villagers and urged to execute the project plan here.
Over 100 villagers expressed their opinions before the panel. Remarkably, about 85 per cent of denizens backed the project and showed their interest for it. Only 15 to 17 people spoke against the project.
The village Sarpanch Kishore Parida was among the project supporters. Parida expressed that the project would strengthen livelihood and generate huge employment opportunities.
The report suggests that over 1000 residents from five villages- Pattna, Mahala, Govindpur, Trilochanpur and Dhinkia participated in the public meeting.
The meeting was moderated by the Collector and SP along with BDO and Tehsildar of Erasama. Sarpanch Kishore Parida and newly elected Samiti member Gitanjali Bhoi were also present. Also, the team of advocates from High Court – petitioners Prasant K Jena, Sukant Dalei and Omkar Devdas along with government advocates Debakanta Mohanty and Janmejay Katkia attended the meeting.
The advocates conveyed to the district Collector that petitioner villagers such as Khirod Rout, Kuni Mallick and Pratap Samantray among others were among the participants.
Public conveyed that the administration is not harrassing them. Project supported leader Nirbhaya Samantray said, people of Patna, Mahala, Dhinkia and Trilochanpur, have largely conveyed that there is no harrasment from the administration and all extended support.
Samantray claimed police excess like issue was not raised in the hearing meeting and all attended the meeting and supported the project.
The court had constituted the lawyers’ panel on December 16 last year while hearing three PILs that had sought protection of human rights of people protesting against the proposed steel plant in Dhinkia.
Though the members of the panel had visited the Panchayat on February 19 this year, they couldn’t speak to the villagers due to commotion by different groups.
