Bhubaneshwar : A four-member Meena Gupta Committee is on a visit to the Posco steel plant site to gather views of the people affected by the project in Jagatsinghpur. The Committee is to ascertain if the forest rights act was properly followed. The land acquisition process by the state government was stalled following adverse report by the Saxena Committee.

"We are hearing the view point of all the people and after making the proper survey and verifying all the records, we will submit our report to the ministry," said Meena Gupta, Head of the MOEF committee.

The visit of the Saxena Committee followed by the Meena Gupta Committee has given a boost to the anti-POSCO movement. They see new hope in the Meena Gupta Committee after the project at Vedanta was stalled on similar grounds.

"The local have been living here for more than hundred years and the government has been giving the wrong report. The committee will bring out the truth and Posco will be out from this site," said Abhaya Sahoo, Chairman, Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.

Meanwhile the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has launched a counter offence against the centre for its decision on the Vednata and the Posco. The rally organised at Jagatsinghpur by the BJD alleged step motherly treatment towards Orissa.

"Our Chief Minister is trying to bring big industrial projects to the state but the Centre is laying a conspiracy to stall these projects like the Vedanta and the Posco," said MLA of BJD, Prasanta Muduli.