By Ha Man-joo, India correspondent, AsiaToday - A meeting between India's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Odisha state government is scheduled to be held this week to discuss the steel project proposed by Posco in Odisha. Posco has not been invited for the meeting.

Instead, Indian government' steel and mines ministry officials will soon meet POSCO India President Sung Ki-woong to listen about POSCO's investment plan in India.

The upcoming meet between the PMO and Odisha officials will likely review POSCO's recent moves such as POSCO chairman Kwon Oh-joon's announcement of temporarily freezing the Odisha project and the firm's signing MOA to set up a steel plant in Maharashtra state.

Indian Express quoted a senior government official who said that the top officials of the Odisha government and Union steel and mines ministries would be present in the meet this week where they would look for a solution of the hurdles that are impeding the implementation of the USD 12 billion project.

POSCO signed a MOU in June 2005 to set up a steel plant in Odisha state, however the project has been dogged by land acquisition and other problems. Last month, POSCO drastically reduced its office in Bhubaneswar in Odisha, indicating that the firm gave up on its proposed steel plant project in Odisha.

On August 11, POSCO signed MOA with Uttam Galva Steel to set up a 3 million tone steel plant at Maharashra's Satarda city.

The Odisha state is reportedly worried that the destination of POSCO's project would have a huge impact internationally, and have a disastrous effect on Modi government's 'Make in India' programme.