Following tension among protesters and supporters to a proposed capacity expansion project of limestone mines of OCL India Limited, Rajgangpur, a public hearing meeting was postponed on Wednesday. The proposed public hearing was to provide environment clearance for the expansion of capacity of the limestone mines of cement-major OCL. Sources said acting on the proposal of OCL for capacity expansion of its limestone mines at Lanjiberna, the State Pollution Control Board had proposed a public hearing programme at Jampalli stadium, under Garvana panchayat of Rajgangpur block on Wednesday. Significantly, there was no proposal to acquire any extra land. Hundreds of locals under the leadership of Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey had assembled outside the Jampalli stadium, much before the schedule of the programme. On the other hand, many supporters of the proposed project also had reached the spot. Although large contingent of police forces were deployed and Sundargarh SP Soumya Mishra and DIG (Western Range) Kavita Jalan were present on the spot, the protesters were rigid on their stand. Sources said since there was a face-off between the protesters and supporters, senior police personnel and other administrative officials, present on the spot, attempted to initiate a talk but in vain. The protesters were rigid on their stand that the proposed public hearing was illegal since it had not been followed by their village gram sabha. "Our efforts were to initiate talks with the protesters to allow the public hearing be conducted and let them inform their grievances in the hearing, so that the same can be recorded, but they were rigid on their stand. Therefore, we declared the postponement of the public hearing,” said Additional District Magistrate, Sundargarh, Bhaskar Chandra Turuk.