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| Orissa to access local mood before Lee visit to Posco site |
| Press Trust of India / Bhubaneshwar Oct 23, 2009, 19:25 IST |
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The Orissa government today said it would assess the local situation in the trouble-hit site for Posco's proposed Rs 50,000-crore steel plant before allowing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to visit the place in January.
"The decision would be taken after assessing the mood of the locals of the villages after Rehabilitation Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting in November," state steel and mines secretary Ashok Dalwai said.
The Centre had earlier asked the state whether Lee, who is scheduled to visit India as a guest for the Republic Day celebrations, could visit Posco's proposed plant site near Paradip to attend the company's "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony.
The South Korean steel major has been facing a stiff resistance from the locals and has not been able to acquire an inch of land out of required 4004 acres for the project.
Posco-India signed an MoU with the state government on June 22, 2006. The state government today held a secretary-level review meeting on the progress of the project.
Sources said senior home department officials and top police officers had advised the state government against inviting Lee under the prevailing situation in plant site.
CPI-backed Posco Pratirosh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the farmers body spearheading the protest against the project, was in no mood to allow Ribbon Cutting function at the site, the sources said.
PPSS president Abhaya Sahoo has announced to oppose Lee's visit to the proposed site.
The state government invited home secretary A P Padhi, Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj and Director of Intelligence Prakash Mishra to the secretary level review meeting, to take their observations on the proposed visit, the sources said.
Centre and Orissa government decided to hold RPDAC meeting in November and offer a better package for the agitating people, official sources said.
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