The controversial project was cleared at a meeting of the state government's Project Clearance Authority on Friday with the Koreans expected to sign the MoU on June 22, the Industries minister Biswabhushan Harichandan said.
The meeting discussed the various aspects of the proposed 12 million tonne project to be set up over a period of ten years. However, opposition parties maintained their objection to the company being allowed to export iron ore from the state.
The government appeared unfazed at the opposition demand that Posco should not be allowed to export iron ore from the country.
Harichandan said the government had stipulated that export of iron ore by Posco would be allowed only against import of equal amount. The company had sought 600 million tonnes of iron ore for its project.
The project would provide jobs to 13,000 people while another 35,000 would get indirect employment, he said adding the MoU would include a clause that the displaced people would be properly rehabilitated by the company.
Leaders of four opposition parties---CPI, CPI(M), Janata Dal(S) and OGP---accompanied by senior Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, Basudev Acharya and D.Raja, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on Friday and urged him to conduct a thorough inquiry into all mining deals including the Posco proposal.
