Bhubaneswar, April 28 (IANS) Nearly 100 villagers, including 43 women, were arrested for obstructing the construction of a port project in Orissa’s Bhadrak district over inadequate compensation, police said Monday. The Dhamra port project, slated to be one of India’s deepest ports, is a joint venture of Tata Steel and construction firm Larsen & Toubro Ltd to be built between Haldia in West Bengal and the Orissa port town of Paradeep.

The villagers alleged that the administration started construction work without giving adequate compensation to all those who will lose their land.

Hundreds of villagers, including women and children, Sunday demonstrated and halted construction work at Dosinga village, P.K. Naik, in-charge of the local police post, told IANS.

“They slept in front of the machine engaged in the work and threatened the construction workers,” he said.

“Initially we detained all the people. But later we allowed the children to go. We arrested at least 99 people, including the women,” Naik said.

Santosh Mohapatra, CEO of the project, claimed that they had the support of most locals and many had accepted the compensation offered to them.

“But a few villagers are making unreasonable demands. We are negotiating with them,” he said.