Fear stalks voters at Posco transit camp

JAGATSINGHPUR: Fear was writ large on the face of 35-year-old Manas Kumar Mohanty when asked whether he would cast his vote this time. Not only Manas, all the 52 families residing in Posco transit camp at Badagabapur in the district are in a quandary over whether to cast their votes this time or not, and the reason for the dilemma is their polling booth is located in Dhinkia.
The 52 families were driven out from Dhinkia panchayat in 2007 for supporting the Posco project, and now they are skeptical about returning to their village to cast their votes.
There are at least 154 voters in the transit camp and they are afraid of going back to their villages after seven years. "The environment in Dhinkia is not at all conducive to our welfare. We feel that there is a threat to our lives still and it would be difficult to go to the polling booth without proper security arrangements," said Manas. He said that his neighbours were still facing trauma.
"We have asked the administration to provide security cover to us to go to the polling booth," added Manas. "We were ostracized and driven out of our ancestral village. For the last many years, we have been languishing in the transit camp at Badagabapur, located seven km away from our village. In all these years, life has turned hell for us. We can't take the risk to go to the village just to cast our votes, "said Sanjukta, mother of two.
Dhinkia gram panchayat, the nerve centre of anti-Posco agitation, had barred police and administration from entering their villages in 2008, alleging forcible land acquisition for Posco. Due to the restrictions, the administration had to set up polling booths at Trilochanpur in the 2009 elections. However, this time the villagers have given their consent for establishment of polling booths at Dhinkia and accordingly, four polling booths have come up there. The booths fall under Balikuda-Earasama Assembly segment in Jagatsinghpur district.
However, the administration has said there is no need for security cover. "The Dhinkia villagers have assured us of peaceful polls. Still, we are keeping vigil in the area and there is nothing to about worry at all. Our election officials have already visited the transit camp and encouraged the voters to come out and exercise their franchise in large numbers, "said S K Mallick, Jagatsinghpur collector.
"If required, we will definitely make security arrangements for the transit camp residents, "said Satyabrata Bhoi, SP,Jagatsinghpur.