Paradip, May 24: Posco India today sought lifting of legal embargo on entry of its officials to the project villages.

The police had restricted the entry of foreign nationals in general and South Korean nationals in particular at the proposed Posco project villages in January 2012.

An official of Posco-India told The Telegraph: “We have written to the Odisha government to lift the ban so that our officials could make their way to the project area for expedition of project-related work. The situation in the project villages has changed. Now, people are no longer opposed to the project.”

According to the restrictions, foreign nationals will have to report to the nearest Kujang police station on any visit to the project villages. The police would be well within their right to reject the permission to travel to the troubled areas.

“There is no denying the fact that the situation has considerably improved in the project villages. We have received the request by the steel company. It is being taken into consideration,” said Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

The temporary office of the steel company in Nuagaon is functioning with local people’s cooperation.

They are guarding the office. This lends credence to the claim that popular support base of the steel project is still intact.

Acquisition

The Jagatsinghpur district administration today acquired 12 betel vineyards in Gobindpur village from willing plot owners.

The forest clearance exercise also gained momentum with the felling of 673 trees today.

Over Rs 21 lakh was paid as compensation to local residents against the loss of betel vineyards and trees.

About 2,650 acres have been acquired for the steel project, which requires a minimum of 2,700 acres. The betel vineyard dismantling work is now in its final stages.

A little over 50 vineyards are now intact in Gobindpur. These would be pulled down within a week.