Bhubaneswar: Unmindful of the continuing protests against the Posco project, the state government is moving ahead to acquire as much land as possible within a month for the South Korean steel major to begin construction work, sources said on Tuesday. Posco requires a total of 2,700 acres of land to begin work, said sources.

At least 14 platoons of armed police forces have been deployed in the Dhinkia area to crush the agitation by villagers unwilling to gice up their land. “If needed, more police forces would be sent,” said a government official. The government’s action is being seen in many quarters as illegal as the project does not have an environment clearance (EC).