Bhubaneswar, Dec 15: Terming yesterday's killing of one person during a clash between the anti-Posco brigade and a private contractor over construction of a coastal road linking the Posco's proposed plant site at Dhinkia with Paradip as “tragic”, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said action would be taken against the guilty.
“What happened yesterday is very tragic. The matter will be looked into and action to be taken as per law,” Patnaik told reporters outside the assembly.
Stating that he had been repeatedly saying that the state government believed in “peaceful” industrialisation, the chief minister said that peace would be maintained in the Posco's proposed plant site area and other places.
Asked whether he had given “go ahead” to the authorities of the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) to undertake construction of the controversial coastal road project, Patnaik said, “Obviously not”.
“I have not given any sanction to the IDCO for undertaking the road project,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, the Jagatsinghpur district administration announced that the activities for setting up the Rs 52,000 crore steel plant project of the South Korean steel major would be taken up with consultation of the local people. “We will do it (Posco project) with support of the local people,” Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena said.
Meanwhile, the district police have began probe into the yesterday's violence where one person was killed and 25 others injured.
The police have meanwhile received three FIRs, two from the contractor's side and one by Mounabati Das of Gobindpur village.
