Centre seeks status report on Posco

BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has sought a status report from the State Government on the Posco project which has been stalled following the violence in Ground Zero this month which claimed one person.This assumes significance as the Centre’s query on the largest-single foreign direct investment (FDI) of the country comes ahead of visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the State on January 3. The Government received a letter from the Union Steel Ministry on Thursday. Official sources said the status report was sent on Friday. The Government is reported to have claimed in its report that 2,000 acres of land has so far been acquired for the project. The 12 million tonne steel project requires 3,719 acres. However, only 10 per cent land belonged to private persons. The remaining land belonged to the State Government under illegal possession of some villagers, it said. A handsome rehabilitation package has been announced for the displaced persons of project, about 720 families. But the company is yet to get the raw material linkage due to a court case over the prospecting licence (PL) for Khandadhar iron ore reserve in Sundargarh district.