Paradip, Sept. 26: The Odisha government will shortly lift restrictions on foreign nationals visiting the proposed Posco steel project area.

Unhappy over prolonged travel restrictions, the South Korean steel-maker had sought lifting up of the restriction imposed on its officials visiting the site. The company officials maintained that the restrictions had stopped it from going ahead with peripheral development works in and around the project villages.

“The ban on movement imposed on foreign nationals in the steel project area is being lifted shortly. Following law and order problems, the government had decided to take such a drastic step in January. Now that normality has returned in the villages, it has been decided to withdraw the restrictions soon,” said Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police Satyapriya Bhoi.

“The company will set up the plant with people’s co-operation. It’s trying its best to win over the people and we have had several rounds of talks with the state government for settlement of rehabilitation issues of the project villagers. People living in the project villages have never been inimical or hostile towards us. Earlier, the villagers had accorded us warm reception. We are happy to learn that restriction is being withdrawn. The plant would usher in economic prosperity of region and generate skilled and unskilled employment in and around the proposed steel venture,” said deputy general manager of Posco steel project S.N. Singh.

Unless South Korean officials of the company were allowed to visit the area, the project work and peripheral development work would get delayed, said a company official.

Foreign nationals had earlier been asked to report to the nearest Bijoychandrapur police station on any visit to the project villages.

Police were within their right to reject permission to travel to the troubled areas. The embargo was enforced under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946, with reference to the Foreigners (report to the police) Order, 1971.

“The move to restrict the movement of foreigners in general, and South Koreans in particular, was necessitated in the backdrop of eruption of violence in the project area. Motive was to ensure the safety of foreigners. Both the civil and police administration would take stock of the situation shortly before lifting of travel restrictions,” said Jagatsinghur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.