Anti-POSCO activists demand open debate on mega steel project

Bhubaneswar, Sep 18 (UNI) Activists of the Navanirman Samitee and Rastriya Yuva Sangathan today dared Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to convene an open debate on the establishment of mega steel project by the South Korea Steel major POSCO at Paradip.

Staging a dharna before the Raj Bhawan to protest the project, the demonstrators demanded that till the open debate, the MoU signed with POSCO for the project be cancelled and all works of the POSCO be suspended at the administration level.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray and noted social activist Prafulla Samantray, who addressed the activists of the two organisations, supported their cause to oppose the steel project.

The demonstration against the 12 million ton steel project at an estimated cost of Rs.51,000 crore, considered to be the largest FDI in the country, came in the wake of two review meetings, held by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here yesterday and the Prime Minister Office in New Delhi today.

The agitators alleged that the POSCO project would displace nearly 30,000 people in the most fertile land of three panchayats, while one lakh people would be affected with the supply of water from the Mahanadi to the mega project.

UNI DP SJC SAM RAI2024