Orissa starts drive to acquire 700 acre more for Posco plant

Sahoo told FE that the police resorted to lathicharge at Bata Tikira, the entry point to Gobindpur village, leaving injured 25 persons including women and children.

It was after almost a 20 months that the district administration made a successful attempt to enter the village and resume the land acqusition process. In June 2011, the district administration was able to pave the way for land acquisition.

With Posco India now agreeing to reduce the size of the plant to to 8 mtpa, the land required for the project has been scaled down to 2,700 acres from about 4,000 acres.

Posco signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2005 to incorporate an Indian subsidiary and build a steel plant in Orissa. Posco India was incorporated by Posco in August 2005 with the registrar of companies, Orissa, under the Companies Act, 1956.

Land-locked

* Govt had earlier taken into possession 2,000 acres for the $12-billion steel plant

* Officials uproot betel vines and pay over R15 lakh as compensation to 8 farmers

* Authorities face resistance at Gobindpur, the epicentre of the anti-Posco movement

* State officials say no force was used even as protesters claim seven people were hurt

* Posco India has agreed to reduce the size of the plant to from 12 mtpa to 8 mtpa

* Land requirement now has been scaled down from about 4,000 acres to 2,700 acres