While regretting the effectiveness of the regulatory system, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, told the Rajya Sabha on Monday that corporate majors Vedanta and Posco were being investigated for alleged violation of government guidelines. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Mr. Ramesh said a four-member Expert Group, which is currently in Orissa, was looking into all cases of violations. “Once I get the report of this group, we...

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is investigating alleged violation of forest laws by Vedanta Co and Korean steel maker Posco in Orissa, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said a four-member expert group is currently in Orissa looking at all cases of alleged violation by Vedanta Co. An iron ore mining project may comprise both forest and...

Systemic Failure * Despite record procurement, poor storage has led to a criminal waste of grain * 61,000 tonnes of grain rotted as it was left in the open during the monsoon * The FCI had shut down storage facilities after low procurement in 2006-07 * The plan for decentralised storage facilities is 40 years old. It’s still hanging fire. * EGoM did not clear the surplus grains for the PDS since it would have...

There's not much you can buy in terms of assets for Rs 1 lakh. But two Delhi businessmen gained access to a multi-crore iron ore mine in Chhattisgarh for just this much. On June 2, 2004, two brothers, Atul Jain and Sanjay Jain, pooled together Rs 1 lakh in Delhi to set up a company, Pushp Steel and Mines Ltd. The same day, the company applied for a prospecting licence...

In what could put the government on a politically difficult turf, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to answer within two weeks why cheap ration under public distribution system (PDS) to above poverty line card holders should not be abolished and the BPL category enlarged. Under the targetted PDS (TPDS), wheat and rice are available at cheap rates to one crore poorest of the poor families (Antyoday Anna...