Naveen for a dialogue with the anti-POSCO agitators

Bhubaneswar, Apr 20 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said he was ready to have an open dialogue with the anti-POSCO agitators for a peaceful settlement of the Rs 51,000 crore steel plant, proposed by the South Korea Steel major POSCO in the state.

Mr Patnaik, who returned from Delhi after holding a discussion with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the progress of the POSCO project, told newsmen at his residence that his government was also open to hold talks with the local people likely to be displaced in the proposed project, considered to be the largest FDI in India.

To a question as to whether he would convene an all party meeting to solve the POSCO problem, the Chief Minister said such a proposal would be examined to have a peaceful environment for setting up of the project.

He said the Prime Minister was very much annoyed about the delayed in the land acquisition for the project and assured that the Centre would extend all possible help to ensure that the project was pushed through in time.

The Chief Minister was summoned to Delhi by the Prime Minister to apprise about the delay in the implementation of the 12 million tonne mega steel plant by the POSCO in Paradip.

The POSCO had signed the MoU with the state government in June 2005 for the project but was yet to take up even the socio-economic survey and acquire land due to agitation by the people likely to be displaced.

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