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The project is in complete violation of the law and this "acquisition" is part of an illegal land grab. We reiterate the following:
1. 3000 of 4000 acres in the POSCO area are forest land.
2. The people of the three affected gram panchayats have rights over this forest land under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. They are eligible; they have written proof of their presence in the area for a century.
3. As per the requirements of the Act the forest land cannot be taken for any other purpose without 1) fully recording and recognising all individual and community rights; 2) the communities of the area granting their consent in the form of a resolution.
4. Out of the four palli sabhas (gram sabhas) of the area, three have rejected consent.
5. No implementation of the Act has been done.
6. The forest clearance granted for the project is therefore illegal.

Moreover the Orissa government was also sent a "clarification" by the Environment Ministry that stated that the "project cannot go ahead" unless the legal requirements of the Forest Rights Act are met.

As such the attempt to remove people is in direct violation of the law. The illegal collusion of the Orissa government and the Environment Ministry with POSCO has already been exposed. Please see here for a full set of documents proving these facts and for more details:
http://www.forestrightsact.com/corporate-projects/item/12-the-posco-project

The ongoing take over of the land is evidence of the utter contempt in which both governments and corporates hold the law, and of how the government always uses force not to defend the "rule of law" but to
defend the rule of money and resource grabbers.

Campaign for Survival and Dignity
9873657844, www.forestrightsact.com