The South Korean steel
major Posco, proposing a 12 million tonne greenfield steel plant near
Paradip in Orissa, will announce an additional package for the project
displaced families after the Supreme Court clears its forest diversion
proposal.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on April 25, 2008.
"Posco will announce an additional package for the families to be
displaced after Supreme Court clears the forest diversion proposal,"
said Priyabrata Patnaik, the nodal officer, Posco India project and the
principal secretary, transport and commerce, Orissa government.
He said, the government can take a decision regarding the physical
construction of the project after the Supreme Court clears the FDP.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has sent the
recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee to the Supreme Court.
At present Posco has about 512 acres of non-encroached non-forest
government land in its possession and the clearance for diversion of
some 2,900 acre of forest land is before the Supreme Court.
Apart from that, it also requires about 438 acres of private land for
which demarcation and socio-economic survey were completed recently.
However, the price for acquiring the private land is yet to be
finalised.
The construction work of the proposed steel plant has already been
delayed by more than a year due to the opposition from locals and delay
in getting the required land.
An equal amount of compensatory aforestation will be taken up in
Cuttack, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur districts, said Patnaik. He, however,
did not give the details of the additional package to be announced by
Posco.
Meanwhile, Posco on Tursday stated that a decision to start the
construction work for the steel project can be taken only after the
forest clearance is obtained.
"We need forest clearance for starting the construction work," G W
Sung, director, Posco India project, said.
After meeting Patnaik in the state secretariat, Sung said that the
Orissa government has been very supportive for last three years.
He added that the company is interested to talk to the Dhinkia people.
"We are talking to them and the problem will be solved in a couple of
months," he said.
However, he ruled out any change of site of the proposed project,
saying that it is the best place for the plant.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/apr/11posco.htm
© 2008
Rediff.com India Limited.
