Central team visits Posco site, takes locals' views

A Central team today visited the proposed Posco India steel plant site near here to ascertain if the Forest Rights Act was properly followed and obtain views of people who would be affected by it.

The four-member team, led by former environment secretary Meena Gupta began their two-day visit from Dhinkia gram panchayat area in coastal Jagatsinghpur district, where the Rs 51,000 crore steel plant is proposed to be set up.

The team interacted with residents of three villages and sought their opinion on the mega project.

"We are meeting people individually to know their views on the proposed project and the manner in which it will affect them," Gupta said.

The objective is to know people's perception about the project, she added.

The Central panel is also studying the nature of resettlement and rehabilitation package offered to other traditional forest dwellers (OTDF) facing displacement due to the project, she said.

The team is also examining enforcement of rules and laws relating to forest conservation and coastal regulatory zone, Gupta said, adding that the report, to be prepared on the basis of information gathered, would be submitted in a month.

Abhay Sahu, president of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) apprised the team about the adverse impact of the project, while some villagers who are for the project spoke about its benefits.

The team's visit comes on the heels of the Centre cancelling the environmental clearance given to Vedanta for its billion dollar bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri hills

The inspection comes after the Union Environment and Forest Ministry ordered stoppage of all project related works in the proposed site acting on the basis of an expert committee's report which alleged violation of the act.

The Union ministry's directive on August 5 came at a time when the Orissa government had initiated process of land acquisition for the country's biggest FDI project, for which 4,004 acres are required.

After receiving the stop-work notice, Orissa government in a letter informed the Centre that the Forest Rights Act, 2006, did not apply to the land earmarked for the proposed mega steel plant.