Brinda tells CM to talk with Posco villagers

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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BHUBANESWAR: CPM politburo member Brinda Karat on Saturday advised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to hold direct talks with the peo..

BHUBANESWAR: CPM politburo member Brinda Karat on Saturday advised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to hold direct talks with the people who will lose their land for the Posco project.
Brinda met Naveen here and discussed the exploitation of the selfhelp groups (SHGs) by the micro finance institutions (MFIs) as well as the alleged forcible land acquisition by the administration for the Posco project. Stating that the stand of the CPM on the Posco project is clear from the beginning, she said if the farmers do not want, the State Government should not acquire their land. They have been cultivating the land for a long time and the Chief Minister should discuss with them, she added.

On the exploitation of women selfhelp groups (WSHGs) by the MFIs, Brinda said she had requested the Chief Minister to introduce legal measures with penal provisions to check their nontransparent and exploitative operation.

The rate of interest for the SHGs should not be more than 4 per cent, Brinda said and added that the State Government should give full support to these bodies by providing comprehensive and continuous training and opportunities for marketing. Alleging that the MFIs are Shylocks, the CPM leader said the Orissa Moneylenders' Act should be enforced strictly.