Orissa asks Posco to give views on iron ore swapping rider

Orissa Government today asked a delegation of Posco-India to inform the company's views on the controversial swapping of iron ore clause in the
previous MoU, official sources said.

"We have told the Posco-India delegation to give us in writing about their views on certain issues," Chief Secretary BK Patnaik said. The delegation met the chief secretary and held discussion for about 30 minutes where issues relating to the provision of iron ore swapping, job reservation for local
youths were raised.

Optimistic of renewing the MoU with Posco-India, which lapsed on June 21, 2010, the chief secretary said that the process had reached the final stage for preparing the document.

Earlier, Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty had said that though the company had accepted many of the conditions put by the state government, Posco-India wanted certain modifications. Though the state government claimed to have taken control over about 2,000 acres of land at the proposed plant site villages, the people at Gada Kujang village erected a
bambbo gate to prevent entry of officials to their jurisdiction.

Posco Pratorodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), on the other hand continuing its agitation at Gobindpur village since June 2.