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POSCO chief visits Nuagaon, Gadakujang

Building Bridges: POSCO India CMD Soung-Sik Cho interacting with villagers on Friday.

BHUBANESWAR: More than two years after signing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Orissa Government for mega steel plant, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of POSCO-India Private Limited Soung-sik Cho managed to enter troubled gram panchayats of Nuagaon and Gadakujang near port town of Paradip on Friday.

Mr. Cho’s visit to the two gram panchayats assumed significance since the South Korean steel major had been facing strong protests from villagers to its proposed 12 million tonne steel project. This was Posco-India CMD’s first ever visit to the project area.

Most of the villagers had been hostile to the idea of setting up of a steel mill in their vicinity. There were instances of POSCO employees being kidnapped and detained for hours.

Sources said POSCO-India CMD took anti-project activists by surprise by visiting the area in the morning.

Company spokesperson Sasank Patnaik said "our CMD Mr. Cho escorted by senior company officials visited the Mahavir temple at Nolia Sahi where he was received by more than 150 persons who support the project."

He said CMD offered prayers in the Mahavir temple after which he proceeded to Jagannath temple of Gadakujanga where a bigger crowd of more than 250 people were waiting to cheer him.

However, anti-project activists said Mr. Cho faced people’s opposition during his visit to the Nolia Sahi. "We on Thursday had urged local police not to allow the POSCO-CMD to villages because his visit could lead to any untoward incidents. Villagers were very agitated. After noticing people’s opposition, the CMD quickly returned back," Biswajit, an activist, said.

Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Y. K Jethwa said the POSCO-India chief had gone to the area without taking police protection. "He didn’t face any opposition as there has been perceptible change in the attitude of villagers towards the project," he claimed.

The SP said though four to five anti-project villagers were present on the way to Gadakujang, nobody opposed the visit. "Dhinkia is the only place where villagers were still hostile."

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