Bhubaneswar, April 8: South Korean ambassador Cho Hun called on Chief Minister Naveeen Patnaik here on Friday and discussed about investment prospects in the State.
Officials said, the envoy informed Patnaik that at present it was not focusing on Posco India project but was keen to start new projects in State.
Earlier in the day, the counsel of the South Korean Company informed before the National Green Tribunal during a hearing that the Posco India would not establish the proposed 12 million tonne capacity steel plant near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district of the State.
According to information, an NGT bench headed by Justice Swatantra Kumar conducted the hearing on a petition filed by noted environmentalist Prafulla Samantara opposing establishment of the proposed project near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.
Accordingly, the NGT had served notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Posco and the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.
Notably, the Pohang Steel Company, the fourth steelmaker of the world, had signed a MoU with the Odisha Government on June 22, 2006 to establish a 12 million tonne capacity steel plant near Paradip.
Though, the company had availed primary environment clearance from the MoEF, it faced many problems in getting subsequent environment and forest clearances. It too faced protests from locals and different political parties over displacement, water and captive port issues.
