You will soon realise there’s nothing to protest: Posco

The signing ceremony for a project of such gigantic magnitude could not have been simpler. Virtually everything was wrapped up in a brief 40-45 minute ceremony in a conference room that could hardly accommodate about 200 guests, including the 32-member Korean delegation that had arrived for the occasion.

About half-a-dozen split ACs — apparently installed for the big day — were not efficient enough to ensure comfort to such global players. But in the past nine months — in the run-up to the signing of the MoU — the Korean side has come to appreciate the working conditions here. Never mind if there were not enough chairs for them to be seated.

A majority of them even huddled into a Tempo Traveller that the government had arranged for their transport from the secretariat to the hotel without a fuss. The only exception was a row of three black Mercedes for the Posco top brass. As Chief Secretary Subhash Pani pointed out, the event was big, the day was big. The ceremony coincided with the sacred day of Lord Jagannath’s full moon ‘‘bath ceremony’’.

Patnaik described how the investment will open up enormous opportunities in the ancilliary sector — particularly in the automobile sector. It will give direct employment to about 13,000 while another 35,000 will benefit indirectly.

But he urged the promoter to ensure environmental safety norms and to ensure that the displaced were taken care off. One of the immediate fallouts is said to be a visit by representatives of one of the largest Taiwanese two-wheeler giants in Orissa in the first week of July.

Later, when asked about the resistance by the Left and other political parties to the Posco project, the Chairman and CEO, Ku-Taek Lee, said: ‘‘As we proceed with the project, such opposition will wither away. Different quarters will come to know that there is nothing to oppose.’’