The Supreme Court on Friday cleared South Korean steel major Posco's plans to set up a Rs 51,000 crore (Rs 510 billion) mega steel plant and captive minor port in Paradeep, Orissa.A special environmental bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan allowed Posco India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Korea-based Posco, to go ahead with the project, for which an agreement was signed with Orissa government on June 22, 2005.
The Union ministry of environment and forests on Tuesday put out an 'update' on the integrated steel plant and captive port of Posco India Pvt Ltd, with hints at stopping the Orissa government from transferring 1,253 hectares of forest land to the company for non-compliance of conditions laid down in the final approval of land diversion given on December 29, 2009.
The need for larger investment in infrastructure that is the biggest shortcoming, says A V Rajwade.