Posco seeks lifting of curbs on project site entry

Posco-India, a subsidiary of South Korean steel major Posco, Thursday asked Odisha to lift the restriction on entering the site of its proposed steel plant in the state to carry out project work.

The local authorities restricted the entry of Posco officials and foreigners to the site in Jagatsinghpur district in December 2011 due to security concerns in view of the prevailing public protests against the project in the area.

Addressing a seminar at the port town of Paradip, about 100 km from here, Posco-India chairman-cum-managing director Yong Won Yoon said police have not lifted the restriction although the company has requested several times.

Posco was to hold the seminar on its project at its site office at Nuagaon in the district, but had to shift it to the port town due to restriction on entering the site.

The purpose of this seminar was to explain the progress status of its steel projects in India to the equipment suppliers and the construction companies and provide them with the basic information about its projects.

“Posco-India would like to express its deep regrets that the police has not lifted the restriction on entering the site although we have requested several times since December 2011 to prepare for this seminar and also proceed with the land works such as removal of betel vines and cutting trees,” he said.

“At the same time, Posco-India expresses its disappointment that all the important people related with the project, such as the chief minister and the chief secretary, were not able to attend the seminar, which can be interpreted as a negative indicator for the project,” he said.

The Odisha government signed an agreement with Posco in 2005 for the 12 million tonnes annum steel project the largest foreign investment in India. But there has been almost no progress on the ground due to local opposition.