The 3-1 conclusion of the POSCO panel that all clearances to the Rs 50,000-crore project be scrapped should haven’t come as a surprise to at least one person: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. The panel’s report now wends its way through the Ministry’s official expert committees. For, Ramesh had handpicked these members and each of the three who opposed the project has, in the past, taken clearly stated positions on infrastructure projects,...
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Orissa denies violation of FRA and CRZ norms at Posco site
The Orissa government has filed its response to the Ministry of Envionment and Forest (MoEF) regarding Meena Gupta committee’s reports on Posco project, denying all allegations about violations of Forest Rights Act (FRA) and Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) at the project site. The state government has reiterated its earlier stand that there are no tribals at the Posco project site and palli sabhas had been conducted as per established procedures and...
More »Green bar on Vedanta aluminium expansion
The environment ministry has told Vedanta Aluminium to stop all construction on the six-fold expansion of its aluminium refinery at Niyamgiri in Orissa, citing violation of environment laws. In a letter sent to the company today, the Jairam Ramesh-headed ministry also said Orissa’s forest and environment department should take legal action against the firm for the violations in its attempted expansion of the plant from 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa)...
More »Centre puts brake on Lanjigarh refinery expansion by Urmi A Goswami
In yet another blow to the Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta Alumina Ltd , the environment ministry has decided to halt the company’s plans of expanding its Rs 4,600-crore Lanjigarh refinery in Orissa. The existing one million tonne Lanjigarh refinery will, however, continue to be in operation. The ministry has found the Lanjigarh refinery’s expansion to be “unauthorised” and in serious violation of environmental laws. It has decided to revoke the permission given...
More »Split Jairam panel puts Posco on pause by Amitabh Sinha
The showpiece proposed iron and steel project in Orissa by South Korean steel major POSCO faces a huge cloud of uncertainty with an expert panel set up by the Environment Ministry alleging violations of environmental laws. Three of its four members today recommended that all initial clearances to the project be cancelled. The lone dissenting voice was that of former Environment Secretary Meena Gupta who argued that there was no need...
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