Despite the anti-Posco movement gaining momentum with a number of social activists and Left leaders from various parts of the country regularly visiting the project site, the Orissa government on Tuesday began the preliminary construction work like cleaning and levelling of the land at Polang-Noliasahi under Gadakujanga gram
panchayat.
Polanga-Noliasahi, which is presently under the possession of the state-owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, forms a portion of the project site.
Senior IDCO official Ratan Kumar Agarwal laid the foundation of the `52,000 crores foreign direct investment (FDI) project by performing the Bhumipuja (groundbreaking ritual) in presence of additional district magistrate Sarojkant Choudhury.
Land acquisition in Dhinkia and Nugaon gram panchayats, strongholds of the anti-Posco activists, were suspended. “We have acquired about 1,800 acres for the proposed plant near Paradip and are beginning project related work in the area acquired by the government,” chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik said. The ADM Mr Choudhury said that for the time being, the state administration would focus on preparing the acquired area ready for construction of the plant.