The State Government has once again requested the Centre to grant a Prospecting License (PL) for Iron ore over a Notified Area of 2,082.502 hectares in favour of the Posco India Private Limited. In its latest move to ensure mining lease to the South Korean steel major, the Department of Steel & Mines (DoSM) sent a letter to the Union Ministry of Mines (MoM) on Saturday requesting it to allow PL to the Posco in the villages of Kensara, Bhutuda, Rantha, Batagaon Soreikala, Lusi and Raisuan in Sundargarh district for a period of three years under Sections 5(1) and 11(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957. On October 10, 2014, the MoM had rejected the State Government’s proposal of March 6 to grant a PL for the mine over an area of 2,500 hectares in Sundargarh district. The Ministry wanted resubmission of the proposal for the Notified Area, which comprises 2,082 hectares, separately and to notify the 417 hectares of the Non-Notified Areas or in alternate if the State Government needs to provide specific reasons for not doing so, said sources. The first proposal from State Government for granting PL in favour of the Posco had been sent to the MoM on December 26, 2006. However, the proposal was rejected on July 16, 2007 and the State Government was asked to send a revised proposal. Again, the State Government sent a proposal on January 27, 2009, which too was rejected by the Union Government. After complying with the MoM’s stipulations, the State Government sent a proposal again in August 2013 and later on March 6, 2014. The State Government had proposed 2,500 hectares (2,082.502 hectares of Notified Area and 417.498 hectares of Non-Notified Areas). Notably, the Posco signed MoU with the State Government as far back as on June 22, 2005 for setting up a 12-million-tonne-per annum (MTPA) steel complex near Paradip.