Decision on Posco by January ’11
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday said he would take a final decision by the third week of January on South Korean giant Posco’s plan to set up a $12-billion steel plant in Orissa.
“I will take a final view by the third week of January. All the evidence are there. I have to make up my mind what way it should take it forward,” the minister said.
The ministry has put Posco project, which seeks diversion of 1253.225 hectares of forest land for establishment of Integrated Steel Plant and Captive Port in state’s Jagatsinghpur district, under scanner citing alleged green law violations.
Meanwhile, ministry sources indicated that “a re-inspection of the project is likely to be needed” even as it waits for reports from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and another EAC, which is looking after the green law violation issue. The two panels are expected to submit their reports before January 10, sources said and added that the Forest Advisory Committee of the ministry has already submitted its report. While the Expert Appraisal Committee of CRZ, which is authorised to decide whether green nod to be give to a captive port near Posco’s proposed 12 million tonnes per annum plant in Jagathsinghpur, will hold its second meeting on the first week of January, the meetings of the EAC, which looks after the environment violation issue, are over, sources said. —PTI
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