Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 29: Expressing concern over the abnormal delay in reviving MoU signed with Posco, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit Wednesday asked the state government to make its stand clear on the proposed `52,000 crore steel unit near Paradip.
‘‘The state has been trying to cover up its failure to implement Posco project 10 years after signing the MoU. Now, they are trying to involve the Centre to shift responsibility and mislead people,’’ senior BJP leader and former industries minister Biswa Bhushan Harichandan told newspersons.
As per the amended mines and minerals development regulation (MMDR) Act, the mines will be allotted only through auction and even the Centre cannot lease out any mine as per the amended Act, he said, adding, “Why is the state government trying to hoodwink the people by blaming the Centre?’’
He said the state government should convene an all-party meeting on this issue and request the Centre for a high-level meeting for the project.
The former minister further said, “Let the state government take a final decision in this regard after calling up Posco for a final-round meeting on the issue.”
Referring to Patnaik’s meeting with Union finance Minister Arun Jaitley October 22 in Delhi he said Patnaik had urged Jaitley to organise a high level meeting to resolve the Posco issue. Stating that the MoU with Posco became null and void in 2010, Harichandan said the state government needs to sign a fresh agreement with the South Korean company to set up the plant. The new agreement should have provision on how the state will benefit from the project.
The ruling BJD rejected the claims of Harichandan saying the ball in now in Centre’s court.
“To ensure raw material supply to the plant, we had requested the Centre to reserve Khandadhar mines for the company. But, the Centre rejected it saying the company has to take part in auction process to get mines,” BJD spokesperson PK Deb said.
Consequently, the state government had decided to make a long-term ore linkage phenomenon for the Posco project through Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC). However, the company is yet to respond to it, Deb said, adding, “The company is eying mines and the Centre can resolve it.”
In so far as the MoU is concerned, the state had written to Posco authorities, but, the company is yet to respond to the missive, he added.
