Even as the central government is expected to decide the fate of the POSCO’s INR 54,000 crore steel plant in Orissa during the current month, the CPI has extended its full support to the agitation against this mega venture marking the largest foreign direct investment in the country.

As such, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, the outfit spearheading the agitation against the POSCO project, currently led by Mr Abhaya Sahu a member of state CPI secretariat.

CPI general secretary Mr AB Bardhan told his party men at Chhatrapur that “The agitation has reached its final phase and don’t give up the stir. The CPI will extend all support to you to safeguard the interest of the poor people in the state.”

The CPI leader was addressing the party’s state unit convention. Referring to the reports of the Saxena committee and Meena Gupta committee, Mr Bardhan came down heavily on the state government for violation of Forest Right Act in the POSCO area. He said that “We are not opposing the industrialization, but it should not be at the cost of the people’s interest.”

Mr Bardhan’s call for fresh agitation against the POSCO project assumes significance in view of the speculation that the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest which is scheduled to meet on January 18-19, may decide the fate of the project.

The South Korean firm, meanwhile, has urged the MoEF to consider the port and the steel project as an integrated unit while considering the issues of forest and environment clearance.

(Sourced from BS)