A day after the government rejected UK-based Vedanta Resources proposed bauxite mining project in Orissa, CPI today demanded similar action against South Korean steel major Poscos' Rs54,000-crore plant in the state for alleged violation of Forest Rights Act.
Pointing out several alleged violations of green law by Posco at its project site, the party's national secretary D Raja, in a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh, said "it appears instead that the Centre is engaging in "double-talk." Even when illegalities are confirmed, the illegal clearance is being allowed to continue."
Referring to Orissa minister Naveen Patnaik's recent statement that "the prime minister has promised to hasten Posco's project, Raja said "if such a commitment has been made, it is a serious violation of law and justice".
He alleged the Union environment and forest ministry issued the clearance last December without being in possession of any of the documents or certificates required by their own orders and the Forest Rights Act.
"There is no dispute that Orissa government began taking over forest land in July this year in violation of the ministry's orders and the Forest Rights Act," the CPI leader said and noted the villages at the site have rejected the proposed diversion of the forest land for the project.
He was also critical of the Environment Ministry's move to set up committee after committee to "investigate and ascertain" facts that are already known and have been confirmed in public, the latest being headed by Meena Gupta.
Raja questioned environment minister Jairam Ramesh's direction to the Meena Gupta committee of "expediting the study" at the request of the Orissa chief minister.
Seeking immediate withdrawal of the forest clearance to Posco's project, he underlined the need to respect the rights of the locals affected by such projects.
Posco has signed an MoU with the Orissa government to set up a 12 million tonne steel plant with a total investment of about $12 billion, the biggest FDI in the country.
