Odisha to wait till situation normalises at Posco site

With all works including construction of the coastal road connecting proposed Posco plant site with Paradip port stalled following a clash, Odisha government today said it would wait for ground situation to normalise before resuming project activities. "We have sought report form the ground.

The government will review the situation before taking any decision on resumption of activities at Posco's proposed plant site," Orissa chief secretary B K Patnaik told reporters. The proposed coastal road which was considered as crucial for Posco's mega steel project, was stalled after a clash between project opponents and the contractor group on December 14. One person was killed and about two dozen injured in the clash sparking state-wide uproar over the violence near the Posco site.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested functionaries of the construction company including Bapi Sarkhel and Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) leaders and former CPI MLA Narayan Reddy and Congress leader Jayant Biswal. Besides, the state government had also shifted senior IAS officer Priyabrat Patnaik from the post of CMD of IDCO (industrial infrastructure development corporation) after the violence. IDCO was the agency for developing infrastructure in areas close to Posco site.