Orissa resumes project work at Posco site

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa government on Tuesday resumed work on the land taken over for South Korean steel major Posco's project in Jagatsinghpur district, an official said. The work was halted a week ago due to villagers' opposition."Works such as cutting trees and sand filling was resumed at Nolia Sahi and Polang area near the Jatadhari river mouth," Special Land Acquisition Officer Nrusingh Swain told IANS. "The work went on without any opposition."The government signed an agreement with Posco in 2005 for the 12 million tonnes annum steel project near the port town of Paradip, about 120 km from here, the largest foreign investment in India.At least 2,900 acres of the total 4,004 acres required for the project is forest land. Officials claimed they have already acquired half of the required land where the construction activities are in progress.While the project continued to face opposition from POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), a group opposed to displacement of settlers on the proposed site, the government said it would now focus on the land already taken over. Work on land acquisition in the troubled area was halted June 14.The government resumed the work at the acquired land, like construction of boundary wall, with the cooperation of the United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco group, after the panel members assured the UAC that their grievances would be heard.The UAC forced halt in the work nearly a week ago, demanding hike in compensation, proper rehabilitation of the displaced and the involvement of local people in the construction activities.