TNI Bureau: Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, who is on a three-day visit to Odisha, has opposed the POSCO project at a farmers’ rally in Jagatsinghpur yesterday. Anna criticised the centre for allowing the foreign companies to set up their projects in India at the cost of lands and livelihood of poor.

Anna Hazare further said that companies like POSCO will never be able to carry out development in villages of Odisha. He rejected the theory of acquiring land in the name of industrialisation without the consent of gram sabhas.

Anna wondered how the government can decide on acquiring the land, which belongs to the farmers. Ironically, he maintained a silence on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha, which signed the deal with POSCO and was involved in land acquisition.