The Telegraph reported that as Orissa High Court is set to start hearing on the legality of the land acquisition proceedings for the proposed POSCO steel plant, the dispute has now narrowed down to the question as to whether it had been undertaken for a public purpose or for a private company.

Mr Nishakar Khatua and five other villagers from the POSCO project area had sought quashing of the land acquisition proceedings alleging that the state government had issued notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act for undertaking acquisition for public purpose and at government expense when the entire acquisition of land is apparently for a private limited company.

The Orissa government had countered in an affidavit that the land acquisition process undertaken for the 12 million tonne POSCO steel plant is for a public purpose and not for a private company. At every stage, the requirement of public purpose has been the sole objective of the project and the consequent land acquisition, the affidavit had claimed in response to notices issued on the petition.

Mr Syed Nayar Ahmed revenue and disaster management department additional secretary had stated in his affidavit that “If the generation of additional employment of 870,000 persons for 30 years and contribution of 11.5% to the state domestic product apart from huge revenue for the state and the Centre do not serve public purpose or interest, one would be at loss to understand what constitutes public purpose or interest.”

The petitioners had contended that “Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd is not competent to acquire land exclusively for any particular company.”

The state government, however, claimed that “The land has been acquired for Idco for public purpose for establishment of industries under the Industrial Infrastructural Development Act, 1980, the Industries (Facilitation) Act, 2004.”

(Sourced from www.telegraphindia.com)