Environment panel calls for cancelling clearance to POSCO
November 19th, 2010 - 6:50 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) The environment ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended cancellation of the forest clearance given to South Korean steel major POSCO for its $12 billion project in Orissa, officials said Friday.
The FAC which was looking into the Forest Rights Act (FRA) violation by POSCO is likely to submit its report to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in the next two-three days.
“The project is likely to be rejected as the FAC found violation of the FRA by the company. It has recommended for cancellation of the FRA clearance,” said a senior ministry official.
The matter was referred to the FAC after the environment ministry team Oct 18 gave a divided opinion on the project, with a majority of team members seeking cancellation of environment clearance to the project for violating green laws.
Earlier, the N.C. Saxena Committee also recommended cancellation of clearance to POSCO.
When asked about the FAC recommendations, Ramesh said the ministry will take a call on POSCO after receiving the FAC report.
“We will take an integrated call on it after considering the FAC report. It’s a complex issue and all the facts are being considered. We have to review forest, coastal and environment clearance with respect to the project,” said Ramesh.
POSCO requires about 4,004 acres, mostly government land, for the project. Of the land earmarked, 2,900 acres is forest land.
Thousands of villagers have been protesting against the project, saying it will displace them from their homeland and ruin their betel leaf farms.
POSCO and the state government, however, maintain that the project will bring prosperity and employment to the impoverished region.
- Panel probing POSCO divided, submits two reports (Lead) - Oct 18, 2010
- Environment panel submits separate reports on POSCO - Oct 18, 2010
- Conditional nod to Posco project in Orissa (Lead) - Jan 31, 2011
- Green tribunal scraps Posco's $12bn Odisha project (Lead) - Mar 30, 2012
- Environment ministry asks Orissa to stop work on POSCO project - Aug 06, 2010
- Final decision on Posco by January end, says Jairam Ramesh - Dec 29, 2010
- Environment panel to submit POSCO report Oct 11 - Sep 27, 2010
- Environmental panel seeks more information on POSCO - Nov 30, 2010
- POSCO final decision in a week: Jairam Ramesh - Jan 24, 2011
- Land acquisition for Posco to resume despite protest - May 08, 2011
- Orissa stops land acquisition for POSCO project - Aug 08, 2010
- Conditional clearance to Posco hardly a relief: environmentalists - Jan 31, 2011
- Green tribunal scraps Posco's $12bn Odisha project (Second Lead) - Mar 30, 2012
- Central panel inspects POSCO site - Aug 27, 2010
- Scope of central panel probing violations by POSCO widened - Aug 30, 2010
Tags: advisory committee, betel leaf, cancellation, environment clearance, environment minister, environment panel, fac report, forest clearance, forest land, government land, land thousands, ministry official, ministry team, New Delhi, orissa, posco, ramesh, saxena, south korean, state government