South Korean officials said that they would ask the Maharashtra government to improve infrastructure at the site of Pohang Iron and Steel Co Ltd’s proposed steel plant in Raigad district as it is suffering from shortage of infrastructure.

Mr Seo-Hang Lee South Korea’s consul general in Mumbai said that “We will ask the Maharashtra government to provide a more investment friendly climate.”

He said South Korean officials would ask the state government to urgently provide water, roads and electricity at the site.

POSCO plans to set up three steel manufacturing units in Raigad at an estimated investment of INR 5,200 crore.

South Korean officials were in Mumbai as part of a trade delegation to encourage Indian investment in their country. Mr Byeong-Cheol Lee director general for cross border investment at South Korea’s ministry of knowledge economy, said he planned to speak with Maharashtra industries commissioner Mr Sanjay Sethi on the issue later in the day.

Mr Sethi said that the POSCO project is facing two issues. One is widening the road around the project site. The second is facilitating last mile connectivity between Reliance Industries Ltd’s Dahej-Uran gas pipeline and the POSCO unit. He added that the link to the gas pipeline could not be built because the road is yet to be widened.

Mr Sethi further said that “We have taken up the matter with the state public works department and are trying to expedite the matter. We are aware of their concerns and will facilitate a resolution of the both the issues expeditiously.”

(Sourced from Livemint.com)