OGP demands inquiry into Kandhadhar mines issue

Bhubaneswar, Jan 6 (UNI) Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP) today alleged irregularities and bungling in recommending Kandhadhar mines in favour of South Korea steel major POSCO and demanded an inquiry into the incident by the Centre.

OGP President Bijaya Mohapatra said there had been a conspiracy to handover the Kandhadhar mines to the POSCO even before the company signed the MoU with the state government to set up a 12 MTPA steel Plant.

He told newsperson that along with the Kandhadhar mines, the state government had also recommended Lusi and Bhutida mines in favour of POSCO, which were returned by the Centre in 2001.

Mr Mohapatra said the POSCO signed the MoU on May 22, 2005 and three days later applied for prospecting license for the mines.

Though there were 130 applicants for the Kandhadhar mines, the government recommended these in favour of POSCO by citing special reasons and relaxing provisions and ignored other applications, he said.

Stating that the state's valuable property should not be handed over to POSCO, the OGP President demanded that all those officers who had connived with the POSCO in recommending the Kadhadhar mines be taken to task.

Mr Mohapatra also expressed surprise over the state government decision.

He further alleged that the state government had suppressed the fact that the Kandhadhar mines were spread over 62 sq kms while recommending them in favour of the POSCO.

The rich mines which have a deposit of nearly 600 million tonnes of iron could fetch the state government a whopping Rs 1.40 lakh crores, he added.

UNI