Posco plant: Efforts on to remove hurdles

The Orissa government is making all efforts to remove hurdles for establishing the Rs 52,000 crore (Rs 520 billion) steel project by South Korean giant Posco near Paradip, which is mired by displacement woes.

"We are trying to deal with the subject in a humane and rational way to benefit the people of the area," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said after presiding over a meeting to review progress of the project.

"It is the biggest FDI to come to India and we reviewed its progress in general," Patnaik said.

He said his government had framed an 'excellent' resettlement and rehabilitation (R and R) policy for people required to be displaced to ensure industrialisation. Senior officials, top police officers and others attended the review meeting.

Steel and Mines Minister Padmanav Behera said efforts were on to clear the way for the 12 million tonne project.

"The chief minister discussed various issues on how to go about it." Behera had recently said that the government would remove the hurdles within the next three months.

Residents of several villages, who are likely to be displaced by the steel project, have been agitating to shift the site for the plant.

However, there was a section among these villages who are supporting the project. Those opposing the project have also erected bamboo gates on the road to their villages not to allow outsiders including government officials, police and Posco representatives.