Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 3: The state government will hold fresh talks with the Centre and Posco-India for reviving the Rs 52,000 crore steel project in the state, steel and mines minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick said Monday.
Mallick, who had sent a note to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his consent, said the Chief Minister has given his nod to hold talks with the company at a Central level to remove all bottlenecks. “The CM has directed us to hold a meeting at the Prime Minister or cabinet secretary level and accordingly, the Chief Secretary will write a letter to concerned authorities at the Centre,” the minister said.
The proposed meeting will have representatives of the state government, Centre and the company, he said. When asked about reports on Posco’s decision to ‘freeze’ the project, he said the government hopes the steel plant will come up here. He also said Posco hasn’t communicated anything to the state government on its future move.
Though over 10 years have passed since the state signed an MoU with the Korean company for the steel project, there are still umpteen number of hurdles holding the project back. The recent policy that Posco will have to participate in bidding to get a mine under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act- 2015 has further queered the company’s pitch.