KalingaTimes.com : Orissa Opposition attacks POSCO project

KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar : The battle lines were clearly drawn when the Orissa Assembly discussed about the proposed POSCO steel project on Thursday. While the Opposition questioned the project on a number of grounds, the government defended the venture with all seriousness.

What emerged from the whole exercise? The government stood thoroughly exposed with regard to its role in facilitating the implementation of the 12 million tonne per annum capacity steel plant involving the country biggest ever foreign direct investment of Rs 51,000 crore.

The House was discussing an adjournment motion moved by Opposition Chief Whip Satyabhushan Sahu on opposition to land acquisition for the project in three gram panchayats of Jagatsinghpur district.

Leader of the Opposition J B Patnaik strongly demanded that the project be shifted from the its proposed location in Jagatsinghpur to the place near Gopalpur where Tata Steel had acquired land for a steel project several years ago. The Gopalpur port may be handed over to POSCO for its use, he said.

There is no need to displace people in Jagatsinghpur as they were strongly opposed to displacement for making space for the POSCO steel mill, Patnaik said.

The Opposition legislators also came down heavily on the State government for favouring POSCO on various counts.

The steel project should not be accorded the SEZ status at any cost as it would cause severe financial losses to the State, the Opposition said.

They also opposed the move to grant mining lease to the Korean company saying that the company be asked to purchase iron ore at market rate.

The captive port project of POSCO also faced opposition. The company should be asked to use Paradip port instead of setting up its own port facility, many Opposition legislators said.