Posco to resettle displaced families before acquiring land

Posco-India, which has been facing opposition from locals in its proposed plant site near Paradip, today promised it will resettle displaced families before acquiring their land.

The South Korean steel major, planning to set up a 12 mtpa steel plant at an investment of Rs51,000 crore, also made it clear that it will not acquire private land forcibly.

The company made these assurances during talks with  the local community.

Though company needs 4,004 acre land, including 478 acre of private land, it had failed to acquire an inch for the purpose due to stiff opposition from the locals.

"The company has been holding extensive talks with the representatives of pressure groups — Posco Pratirodh Sangram
Samiti and United Action Committee," Simanta Mohanty, general manager (external affairs) of Posco-India said.

The talks, held over the past few months at Paradip, Kujanga, Jagatsinghpur and here "have brought forth the company's commitment that each displaced family would be provided with a three-room Pucca house with latrine," he said.

Displaced families will be first resettled before their lands are acquired, Mohanty said.

The company has also agreed that labour for plant construction will be from local area and preference will be given to members from the three GPs for employment, provided they meet merit norms.

The company, he said, was also committed to building medical facilities of the highest standard for the area, Mohanty said. Fishermen of the area will be given boats and nets and their livelihood will be assured.