Posco must wait till tribal rehab is over: Jairam Ramesh
28 Jul 2010, 0439 hrs IST,ET Bureau
Consent under the Forest Dwellers Act is crucial as the project has been delayed on account of protests by the local people. Posco had indicated that it needs about 1,600 hectares for its project in the state, of which 1,173 hectares is forest.
Sources said that the ministry plans to send team too undertake due diligence on the issue of settlement of forest rights. Sources said there is cause to suspect the Jagatsinghpur collector’s report which said, “no claim for settlement of rights from tribals and traditional forest dwellers has been received.”
Villages such as Dinkhia have not allowed officials to step into their villages for the last five years, so it unlikely that the district collector would have been allowed to hold a public hearing. Further, two villages including Dinkhia held a gram sabha in the first week of February, where the Posco project was rejected.
In response to a written question in the RS, Mr Ramesh said on Tuesday: “Environmental clearance for setting up an integrated iron and steel plant along with a captive power plant near Paradip, Jagatsinghpur Orissa by Posco India-Orissa was accorded on July 19, 2007, subject to stipulation of environmental safeguards. One of the clearance conditions stipulated was obtaining of the forest clearance for diversion of forest land under the Forest Conservation Act prior to the commencement of construction at the work site.” ............................
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Posco-must-wait-till-tribal-rehab-is-over-Jairam-Ramesh/articleshow/6225628.cms
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