CMSR may bag Posco survey work.

Hyderabad-based Centre for Management & Social Research (CMSR) is likely to bag the job for conducting socio-economic survey for land acquired for Posco's mega steel project proposed near Paradeep.

Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), the state's land acquisition agency has invited CMSR for negotiating the rate quoted by the centre in its financial offer.

In June this year, Idco had invited expression of interest (EoI) to conduct socio-economic survey for rehabilitation of displaced families affected by the Posco project. Idco has acquired 2,772.05 acres of land to facilitate establishment of an eight million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel mill by Posco India in the first phase. This includes 2,193.52 acres de-reserved forest land and 578.53 acres government land.

The South Korean steel major had proposed to set up a 12 mtpa steel project that needed 4,004 acres. But it had later redesigned the project following prolonged agitation by locals protesting land acquisition and sought 2,700 acres of land in the first phase to start construction of a 8 mpta steel plant.

The land has been acquired under Kujang and Erasama tehsils in Jagatsinghpur district in 10 villages - Dhinkia, Nuagaon, Gobindpur, Jatadhar, Polanga, Bhuyanpal, Noliasahi, Bayanala Kandha, Sandhakuda and Badagapur.

BS