No flip-flop on POSCO: Anand Sharma

Even as ruling BJD leaders in Odisha smelt a "conspiracy" behind the suspension of environmental clearance to POSCO's propose mega steel plant, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma has maintained there was no "flip-flop" on the Rs52,000 crore project.

"There is absolutely no question of flip-flop on POSCO," Sharma, who was on a two-day visit to the Odisha capital, told reporters yesterday.

The minister was responding to a query on suspension of clearance by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 30, days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak in Seoul that the project would be implemented.

Sharma, however, declined to make further remarks saying the issue was related to the ministry of Environment. "Moreover, the matter is sub-judice", he said.

The issue figured in Odisha assembly yesterday with ruling BJD legislators seeing a conspiracy behind suspension of environmental clearance and asking the state government to clear doubts over the fate of country's single largest FDI project, proposed near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.

While Paradip MLA and former minister Damodar Rout claimed there was a conspiracy behind it, another senior member from Jagatsinghpur district, Bishnu Das accused the Centre of maintaining double standard on Posco issue.