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Bhubaneswar (Orissa) : The fate of India’s largest FDI in eastern States of Odisha hangs in balance with locals in costal district of Jagatsinghpur opposing the South Korean Steel maker Posco.
The locals are planning to observe a Black Day and opposed the visit of Korean President Lee Myung-Bak to India in January next year.
According to insiders in Steel maker, the President would attend the “Ribbon Cutting” of the beginning of construction of the 12 million tonne steel complex near Paradip Port.
POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti led by Communist of India leader Abhaya Sahoo is readying its supporters to face off with the Naveen Patnaik here in view of proposed visit of the Korean President. “We can’t allow Korean President to open the steel plant,” Sahoo, who was recently released from jail, said.
Interestingly, two Left Parties including Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxists), besides, Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party are supporting the Biju Janata Dal Government following its break up with the rightwing Hindu nationalist BJP before the last Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Approaching the Dhinkia and Gobindpur village has become difficult and preparation for erection of wooden gates and bamboo barricades is in full swing.
Officials are barred to visit the area and Peoples’ expectations are high and it has reached point of no return. Interestingly POSCO officials are just not visible in and around 50 kilometre of the project area.
The meeting of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) for the POSCO Steel Project, which was to be held in this month, seems lost its way.
Even dates are yet to be finalized though it was announced on 24 October to organize RPDAC to finalise the rehabilitation and resettlement (Rand R) package for the project affected persons.
If required, RPDAC was to offer sops to the project hit people beyond the recommendation of the R and R Policy-2006 of the Odisha Government in a bid to win over their support for the project, sources said at that point of time.
It may be noted, the project, for which the South Korean Steel Major had entered into a MoU with the Odisha Government on 22 June, 2005, is hanging fire for more than four years due stiff opposition of the locals.
