Odisha responsible for delay in Posco project: Ramesh

'There are certain provisions for implementation of new Land Acquisition Bill retrospectively

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today held the Odisha government responsible for delay in the implementation of the Rs 52,000 crore mega steel project by South Korean steel major Posco.

"The Centre has accorded all statutory clearances for the project since three years. Despite that, the state government has failed to see the project through," Ramesh said here.

Asked whether the affected people would get benefit of the new Land Acquisition Bill, Ramesh said there were certain provisions for the implementation of the new rules retrospectively.

"They are: if the district collector concerned has not announced the compensation package, the land is not physically acquired and people have not taken the compensation amount," Ramesh said.

Terming the existing Land Acquisition Act, 1894 as "dictatorial, undemocratic and anti-farmer", Ramesh said that the new Act would empower the people, instead of the district collector, to take call on whether they want their land to be acquired or not.

The Union Minister also said that Maoists are taking advantage of the anti-land acquisition agitations in Odisha and some other states.