Who is footing the Bill without MoU: Congress

BHUBANESWAR: The OPCC has strongly reacted to groundwork at the Posco project site when the MoU with the South Korean company is yet to be renewed. Addressing a media conference here on Saturday, former MLA Umesh Swain, party spokesperson Kailash Acharya and senior leader BK Tripathy alleged that construction work had been started at the Posco site despite the growing opposition to the steel plant project. Both the State Government and Posco have announced that so far ` 50 crore has been spent on the project, they said. But who is spending the money and from where when the MoU is yet to be renewed even one year after it lapsed, they asked and alleged that no tender had been floated for the works which are being carried on at the site. The three leaders had visited the Posco site as a part of the Congress team to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.  Criticising the State Government for announcing that land acquisition will be peaceful and there will be no displacement, the Congress leaders asked then why a rehabilitation colony is being constructed. Besides, work has been started and land acquisition is going on for the project without the State Government making any arrangement for water for the plant and raw material requirement, they added. They alleged that a large number of trees were being cut at the project site in scant regard to environmental protection. They said the land acquisition Act was being violated by the State Government. They also demanded that the State Government should inform the people about the status of the project.