Odapada: Even as the Chief Minister ordered an immediate halt to the tree felling at a community forest of Balarampur under Odapada block of Dhenkanal district, the agitation by local people against the establishment of a beer brewery continued Sunday with the villagers showing no signs of relenting.
The Chief Minister has ordered the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (North) to look into the matter. Tension was palpable in the area as hundred of villagers carrying gongs and traditional musical instruments performed ‘Sankirtan’ at the site with their cries of ululations and ‘Haribol’ renting the air as they gave away slogans against the administration and the state government.
The villagers also performed rituals under the trees which were felled to make space for the beer bottling plant. Some women were seen crying and mourning over the felling of trees.
Women were also seen planting saplings under the felled trees so that they grow into new ones. They vowed that they will not allow the beer bottling unit in the area under any circumstance. The villagers also warned that the situation may turn violent if the administration tries to neglect their demands.
Meanwhile, environmentalist Prafula Samantara reached the spot and took stock of the situation by interacting with the agitating villagers. He welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision.
Samantara demanded the decision for the establishment of the bottling unit be withdrawn and wanted compensation to the residents. He also demanded action against the officers concerned. Similarly, former BJP MLA Krushna Chandra Patra, district party president Ramesh Chandra Samal, party’s zonal president Prasant Kumar Pradhan and several party workers held the administration responsible for tree felling.
The administration chopped down over 400 trees in the area for the bottling plant by Gayatri Group owned P & A Bottlers Pvt Ltd Saturday. This resulted in a faceoff between the villagers and the police as the area turned into a battlefield. Police registered two cases and arrested 13 persons including three women in this connection. The arrested were released on personal bail bonds after they were produced in the court of the sub-collector.
PNN
