Other States - Others   

POSCO faces stiff opposition even after two years

Special Correspondent

Protest rallies, meetings mark the second anniversary of signing of MoU

In protest mode: Activists of Communist Party of India demonstrate against POSCO in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. –

BHUBANESWAR: Two years after the Korean steel major POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Orissa Government to set up a 12-million tonne capacity mega steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district, people’s opposition to the project is showing no sign of decline so far.

On the eve of the second anniversary of the MoU signing event, rallies were organised by variousorganizations in Bhubaneswar and Jagatsinghpur on Thursday to oppose the setting up of the steel

project. While more than 100 workers of Communist Party or India in held a rally in the Capital city, a public meeting was organised at Dhinkia gram panchayat of Jagatsinghpur to oppose the construction of the steel mill at the proposed site.

The public meeting at Dhinkia was attended by the Leader of the Opposition J. B. Patnaik, secretary of the Orissa unit of the Communist Party of India Dibakar Nayak, president of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti Abhay Sahu and Orissa Gana Parishad legislator Arun Dey.

Addressing the meeting, the leaders supported the anti-displacement agitation by the villagers. The Korean company should set up its steel plant at any other location, but not at the proposed site where a large number of people living under three gram panchayats will lose their land and livelihood sources, they said.

As the project continues to face opposition in various spheres, the State Government has failed on many counts in facilitating the project. It has not only failed in convincing the agitating villagers about the benefits of the project, but also has failed to hand over any land to the company for its project.

All that has happened on the ground with regard to land acquisition is that the government has handed over seven acres of land to the company to open a training institute near Paradip town, several km away from the proposed project site.

Of the total 4,004 acres of land required for the steel mill, not an inch of the 438 acres of private land has been acquired so far. The company has also not been able to take possession of the 1135 acres of government land sanctioned in favour as most of it was under forestland category. The process for sanctioning of the remaining government land has not started till date.

The company officials, however, have not lost hopes. They are happy that both the Centre and the State government were trying their best to facilitate the project. While the Centre had granted in-principle approval to grant Special Economic Zone following the recommendation of the State government, the company is hopeful of getting licence for the

Khandadhar iron ore mines in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts in the near future.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

POSCO faces stiff opposition even after two years
Nua Golabandha fishermen families to be shifted finally
Strict guidelines for student union elections
Athagarh bandh ends peacefully
‘Collective will a must for Central University’
Heavy rain forecast in State
4 girl students killed as culvert caves in
Patro panel’s directive
Villager beaten up

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu