In what appears to be a setback to the Posco's dream 12-million ton steel project, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday issued notices to the union ministry for environment and forest (MoEF), Orissa government, Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) and Posco India asking about the circumstances under which environmental clearance was given to the South Korean company's proposal for the largest FDI project and a captive port in Jagatsinghpur...

The Mamata Banerjee ministry will not accept government role in land acquisition for the private sector even under the private-public partnership model, except in “specific and limited situations”, sources said after a cabinet meeting this evening. A “final decision” on the state government’s position on the draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill is still to be taken. Mamata asked the group of ministers led by Partha Chatterjee entrusted with...

The Trinamul Congress will accept government acquisition of land for the private sector only if the plots are required for projects under public-private partnership (PPP) and serve a public purpose. The stand was articulated by Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP and land expert Debabrata Bandopadhyay at a meeting with Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh here today. The party had so far opposed any government role in acquisition of land for private...

-IANS   Farmers from Greater Noida on Sunday demanded a compensation at the rate of Rs.10,000-11,500 per square metre for their acquired lands, a village headman said. The demand is a part of a charter to be given to theGreater Noida Industrial Development Authority and filed in the Allahabad High Court, which is hearing the farmers' petitions against land acquisition. On the direction of theAllahabad High Court to reach an accord for an...

Several primary school teachers in West Midnapore’s Jungle Mahal area have sought transfer in the face of Maoist “threats and extortion”. Since Mamata Banerjee’s government assumed charge on May 20, anti-Maoist operations in Jungle Mahal have stopped, allowing the rebels the opportunity to regroup and “start atrocities against teachers again”. In the past 15 days, at least 26 teachers have submitted applications to the district chairman of the primary education board seeking...