Odisha push for Posco mining bid

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government would soon submit two separate proposals to the Centre recommending South Korean steel major Posco's bid to mine Khandadhar iron ore reserves in Sundargarh district, official sources said on Wednesday.
On October 10, the Centre asked the state government to submit separate proposals for notified and non-notified areas, official sources said.
In January 2014, the state government had recommended grant of prospecting licence (PL) for 2,500 hectare, including 415 hectare in non-notified area, to Posco for its steel project in Jagatsinghpur district. Non-notified area means a region which the state government has not recognized as mineral bearing.
Official sources said the Centre has sought to know if the state was willing to separate its proposal because the parameters for notified area and non-notified area are different.
Steel and mines secretary G Srinivas told TOI, "The chief secretary (G C Pati) reviewed progress of several steel projects, including Posco. We apprised him about the Centre's recent communication. We are pursuing the matter with the Union government."
Director of mines Deepak Mohanty said, "Survey for notified and non-notified has been carried out. We had earlier submitted the maps for both notified and non-notified areas to the Centre. We would intimate it again soon."
The chief secretary also directed the state-owned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to ask Posco to pay for land acquired for the proposed $52 billion steel mill.
Idco has acquired 1,700 acre in Jagatsinghpur for the project. However, the company is yet to deposit Rs. 54.21 crore towards cost of the land, sources said.
"Idco is in possession of another 1,000 acre. It would hand it over to the company following certain formalities," an official said.
The chief secretary, among others, took stock of around 52 road, railway and power projects. 'Major hurdles for several projects are diversion of forest land and obtaining of environment clearance. The chief secretary emphasized the need to expedite the forest diversion proposal," an official added.