: With uncertainty prevailing over POSCO’s Rs 52,000-crore mega steel project near Paradip, the Odisha Government says the ball is in the Centre’s court with regard to raw material linkage for the South Korean firm.
“The Odisha Government has complied with all the queries of the Centre regarding its recommendation of prospecting licence (PL) in favour of POSCO. The last letter of request to the Centre on giving PL to POSCO was issued on November 1, 2014,” Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick said.
“As there has been no response so far from the Centre on the State’s request to give PL in favour of POSCO, we have not put any condition for the company,” Mallick said adding Odisha Government on January 9, 2009 had recommended 2,500 hectares of Khandadhar iron ore reserve in Sundergarh district for POSCO.
“The State government in its reply on November 1, 2014 has requested to accord PL to POSCO over the 2,082.502 hectare of notified area of Khandadhar iron ore reserve,” Mallick said .
He said the Odisha government has been in negotiation with the Centre over according PL to POSCO over Khandadhar iron ore reserve instead of putting it on auction.
“This is because, the Odisha government had recommended PL in favour of POSCO much before the MMDR (Amendment) Bill, 2015, getting nod of Parliament,” the minister said. - PTI
Odisha has been asking the Centre to grant PL to POSCO over Khandadhar iron ore reserve instead of putting it on auction
