Posco India, which is putting up a 12 million tonne steel plant in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district, on Wednesday claimed that it has made a breakthrough in negotiations with anti-Posco groups and sorted out hurdles. A claim anti-Posco groups denied as soon as the steel major sent out the press release.
A Posco release said the company has been holding extensive talks with representatives of pressure groups?Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti and United Action Committee.” It said “the talks have revealed that there is agreement now between Posco-India and the various groups on most points related to compensation, displacement and employment.”
As per the negotiations, the release said Posco has committed that there will be no forcible acquisition of private land for the project. Displaced families will be provided with a three-room pucca house with a toilet. The company has also agreed that displaced families will be first resettled before their land is acquired.
The company has also agreed that labour engaged in the plant construction will be from local area and preference will be given to members from the three gram panchyats for employment, provided they meet merit norms. In all employment cases, government rules and Employment Exchange recommendations will be given priority, it said.
But the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, which has been vehemently opposing the project, denied the talks.
?We had no talks with Posco India or Posco Korea,” Samiti leader Abhaya Sahoo told FE. He said there is no point in talking to Posco-India, which is a third party.
?Since the government is going to acquire the land from the people, the talk will be between the people and the state government. They are the third party,” he said.
Pooh-poohing Posco-India?s claim, Sahoo said a rally is going to be held at Balitutha, the entrance to Posco project?s proposed site, on Thursday. “The rally will be attended by about 10,000 people who are involved in mass movements,” he said.
