Odisha govt responsible for Posco uncertainty: Pradhan

Holding the Odisha Government responsible for the uncertainty shrouding the Rs 52,000 crore Posco steel plant, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said the BJD regime failed to take steps for providing iron ore mines for the mega project well in time.
"The proposed steel project of Posco has failed to take off so far as Odisha Government failed to take appropriate steps for making available mines for the plant for which MoU was signed way back in 2005," Pradhan told reporters here.
Claiming that recommendation of iron ore mines for the project was sent just three days before the new MMDR Act came into being, the Union Minister said that by then it was clear that mines would be allocated through auction route following modifications in the law.

Under such circumstances, it was not possible for the Centre to allocate mines for Posco as the government would have been questioned for such a move, Pradhan said.
He said the Naveen Patnaik government was in a habit of dashing letters to the Centre, but did not bother to send a proper recommendation for mines for Posco plant in time.
"Why did not the state government send a letter for mines two years ago?" he asked.

He asked the state government not to blame others to hide its inefficiency which led to uncertainty over the project.
He said the state government also failed to renew the MoU after the one signed in 2005 lapsed in 2010.

The BJP leader said his party favours investment and therefore wants Posco project.
Pradhan said BJP was still optimistic about Posco, the biggest FDI project in the country, and the Centre ready to extend all necessary cooperation to the state in this regard.
Senior BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb, however, refuted the allegations levelled by Pradhan and said several recommendations were send long back to the Central government for mines for the project.