Location of Posco plant to be announced in 2 days: BSY

PTI

Bangalore, 14 July 2011: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said his government will announce in two days its decision on the location of the Rs 30,000 crore steel project by Korean major Posco now proposed to be set up in Gadag district following protests from farmers and Opposition.

Hours after saying that the project would not come up in Gadag, Yeddyurappa said, "We are looking for alternative locations. Decision on the location of the plot where the project will come up will be announced in two days."

Yeddyurappa said land would not be acquired unless all the farmers in the Gadag region along with the seers arrived on a consensus on the issue. The chief minister who is peeved over the JDS proposing to join the stir led by a local seer on acquiring land for the project, had earlier said, "Posco plant will not come up in Gadag district, even if farmers come forward to give their land."

However, later in the evening Yeddyurappa said some of the farmers had come forward to offer around 2,5OO acres of land. But he said he would not accept the land till all the farmers and seers arrived at a consensus on the issue.

He had asked the farmers to go back and hold discussions with their counterparts and seers and arrive at a common decision, Yeddyurappa said. The chief minister made it clear that if the seers and farmers arrived at a "consensus" he would consider implementing the project in Gadag itself.

However, when newsmen sought his reaction after the function organised to mark the curtain raiser event for the Global Investors Meet 2012, Yeddyurappa said there was no re-rethinking on the part of the government to relocate the Posco project from Gadag to another district.

The Posco project has been facing opposition from a section of farmers of Gadag in North Karnataka, with Congress and JDS extending support to them and taking up cudgels for them.

JDS leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced that his party proposed to file a PIL against ruling BJP for allegedly grabbing fertile land under the guise of industrial development.

He had also alleged close nexus between the government and Posco and warned JDS would launch an agitation jointly with Thontadarya Mut pontiff Siddalingaswamy, who is spearheading the farmers’ movement, if government continued acquiring land.