Posco plans alternative employment for project displaced

South Korean steel-maker Posco (India) is planning alternative employment for people who will be displaced by its upcoming Rs51,000-crore project near Paradip, Orissa according to company sources.

The company, which has plans to set up a 12 million tonnes per annum mega steel mill near Paradip at an investment of Rs51,000 crore has handed over its plans to the district administration of Jagatsinghpur during a meeting last week the sources say.

According to Posco (India) general manager Saroj Mohapatra the company is conducting discussions at various levels – government officials, people and others.

The company has assured that not a single person from the three gram panchayat areas would remain unemployed after the physical construction starts on the project. A senior manager has assured that the company is not against extending special attention to the people, both affected and unaffected.

An MoU between the state government and the company had been signed on 22 June 2005, but there has been no progress on the project since then due to stiff opposition from the local people. The company requires 4,004 acres of land for the greenfield project.
 
According to Orissa steel mines minister Raghunath Mohanty, it would take more time for the construction work to start and efforts were on to convince people of the benefits of the project.

Mohapatra said the company was planning the construction of a 10 km marine road from Dhikia to Paradip which would not only save the local communities from tidal waves but also provide jobst to hundreds of people and easy connectivity to the port town of Paradip.