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Kamal Narang

Meeting point: Mr Ku Taek Lee, Chairman of South Korean steel giant POSCO (centre), and Mr Soung Sik Cho, CMD, POSCO-India, with the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, at a meeting in the Capital on Friday. The company said that it hopes to start work on the project by April next year.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Oct. 19 The world’s fourth largest steel producer POSCO on Friday reiterated that it is committed on the proposed 12-million-tonne steel plant in Orissa. The company has said that it hopes to start work by April next year.

“We have had a very positive and productive meeting regarding land and mining issues and POSCO is committed to setting up the steel plant in India.

“We hope to have the ground breaking ceremony for the plant on April 1 next year, which also happens to be the 40th anniversary of the company,” Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Ku-Taek Lee, told newspersons after meeting the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, here on Friday.

The plant would be the country’s single largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project, but is yet to secure a mining permit and the land has not been fully cleared of the occupants.

The company secured the necessary environmental clearances from the Government in August, more than two years after agreeing to invest $12 billion in the project.

According to Mr Patnaik, apart from the land and mining issues, other important issues were also discussed during the meeting. He, however, did not give details on what the other issues were.

But sources who were present in the meeting said that issues relating to the protection of the company’s employees were discussed and the Chief Minister assured POSCO officials that their concerns would be looked into.

Mr Patnaik also said that the State Government has sent some documents to the Centre for getting the necessary clearances. “Since it is the largest FDI in the country, all the issues relating to mining leases and allotment of land have been sent to the respective Ministries and we hope to get the clearances very soon,” he said.

The Chief Minister also added that as far as the State Government was concerned, they would ensure that the project takes place smoothly and peacefully.

He also made it clear that POSCO had not closed down its Kujang office even as some of the staff was withdrawn from the area as a mark of co-operation to the local administration which suggested company officials not to venture into the plant site in view of the prevailing tension there.

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