'Centre, Odisha committed to Posco project'

Modi assures Korean President of full support to venture

Union Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh on Monday said the Centre and the Odisha government were keen to see the South Korean major Posco‘s proposed mega steel project in coastal Jagatsinghpur district through.

 “Both the Centre and the Odisha government are committed to implement the Posco project. The land acquisition and other activities for the project are going on. We are very keen and confident that the project will be implemented”, Singh told reporters after a meeting here to review ongoing steel projects in the state, including Posco.

The secretary’s comments on the controversial multi-crore mega steel project which has already been delayed by almost nine years has assumed significance in view of recent developments on the project front, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance to South Korean President Park Geun-hey to extend all his support to the project. Modi assured Geun-hey when the two leaders recently met in Myanmar on the sidelines of Asean.

The development prompted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to say that “all hurdles for the project would come to an end soon”. “I hope the prime minister’s assurance to the South Korean president would put the Posco project on the track once again,” Patnaik had said here recently.

Just a few days before the Myanmar meeting between Modi and Geun-hey, Posco India managing director had also visited the state and held discussions with officials, including Chief Secretary G C Pati about the progress.

Pati was also present at the Monday’s high-level official meeting chaired by Singh.
 The state government has already acquired 2,700 acres of land for the eight million tonne per annum steel project in Jagatsinghpur despite opposition from a section of the villagers.

The state government had also a few days ago sent its recommendation to the Centre to grant prospective licence in favour of Posco to mine iron ore at Khandadhar hills in tribal- dominated Sundergarh district which will be used as raw material for the proposed big ticket steel project.