Even as the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti leader Abhay Sahu began an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday demanding withdrawal of police, the administration continued land acquisition for Posco’s proposed steel project in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district for the third consecutive day.

As many 18 betel vineyards were destroyed on the outskirts of Gobindpur village during the day in heavy police presence and compensation was paid to farmers as hundreds of villagers opposing land acquisition and heavy police presence in the village sat on a dharna at the nearby Patana hamlet where Mr. Sahu began his hunger strike in the morning.