BHUBANESWAR: Seeking cooperation from the locals for establishment of the Rs 52,000 crore Posco project near Paradip, the State Government on Wednesday said only 613 families would be displaced because of the mega steel plant.
While the number of families facing displacement due to the project was initially put at 803, it came down to 613 after the State Government decided not to acquire private land at Dhinkia village, Steel Minister Raghunath Mohanty said.
“As the people of Dhinkia are opposed to the project and unwilling to vacate their land, the Government has decided not to acquire land from the village,” he said.
With exclusion of private land from Dhinkia village, the number of families to be displaced dropped from 803 to 613, he said, adding that 190 families would benefit from the decision.
Posco project, which initially required 4,004 acres of land, would now be set up over 3,719.22 acres. The South Korean steel major has also accepted the State Government’s decision on excluding Dhinkia village from its original plan.
Of the 3,719.22 acres of land for Posco project, private land was only 152.69 acres while 3,566 acres were government land, the Minister said, adding that he is hopeful that the locals would not oppose the project which is billed as the biggest foreign direct investment in the country.
Of the 3,566 acres government land, 2,958.79 acres were categorised as forest land and 607.74 acres non-forest revenue land. “We need diversification of forest land before handing it over to the company for starting work,” Mohanty said.
On renewal of MoU with Posco-India, the Minister said, “We have been processing the file. IPICOL had already prepared a draft for the renewal of MoU.”
Sources said the State Government is waiting for the opinion of the Law department on inclusion of an additional clause in the new MoU. The Government would ask Posco to reserve certain jobs for local youths in its proposed 12 MTPA steel mill, he said.
