Bhubaneswar, Dec 16 (IANS) A day after the central government asked Posco India to apply afresh for its proposed SEZ project in Orissa, the company Wednesday clarified that it would not affect the proposed $12-billion project.
“As per the SEZ approval laws, we have to apply afresh. And this has been advised by the central government. Our main project does not depend on any application, so we don’t have any problem in that. But for the SEZ, we have to make a fresh application,” said Simanta Mohanty, Posco’s general manager for corporate communication.

Posco, one of the world’s biggest steel makers, signed a deal with the Orissa government in June 2005 to set up by 2016 a $12-billion plant near the port town of Paradip, some 100 km from here.

The company has already got two extensions since it received in principle approval in 2006 without the requisite land of 4,004 acres for SEZ status. The company has already approached the Board of Approval for third extension for implementation of its SEZ project.

The project has not made much headway due to local opposition to it. It has only been able to acquire 500 acres of land required for the project.