Orissa to comply centre on Posco project in a week: CS

Bhubaneswar, Feb 4 (PTI) Apparently anxious toimplement the country''s biggest foreign direct investment(FDI) in the state, Orissa government today said it wouldsubmit compliance report to Centre on Posco project within aweek, official sources said.

While giving conditional clearance to Posco''s steelplant, captive power and port on January 31, the ministry ofenvironment and forest (MoEF) had sought categorical assurancefrom Naveen Patnaik government that Forest Rights Act (FRA),2006, was not violated in the land acquisition process for theRs 51,000 crore project.

The union environment minister Jairam Ramesh also put60 conditions besides seeking assurance on FRA, 2006 whileclearing the project.

"We will submit compliance report with Centre on Poscoproject within one week," chief secretary B K Patnaik toldreporters here adding that the state government''s views on thenon-tribal forest dwellers in the proposed plant site villagesremained unchanged.

The state government had earlier apprised Centre thatthere was no tribal living in the proposed plant site villagesin Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur thus justifying that tribalrights were not violated in the process of land acquisition.

Regarding the non-tribal forest dwellers, the stategovernment maintained a view that no one in the proposed plantsite areas had been in possession of the land since 75 years.

"As no family in the proposed plant site villages isin possession of land for 75 years, the FRA, 2006 will not beapplicable here," a senior minister said.

Meanwhile, the nodal officer for the Posco-Indiaproject, Priyabrat Patnaik said: "We are hopeful that thecentre will accord final clearance to the project before endof this month. We may start land acquisition process as soonas the final clearance is accorded." PTI AAM AMD