MoEF told to review clearance to Posco
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to review its clearance granted to Posco.
This is being seen as a further setback to the South Korean giant, especially since NGT has suspended the “conditional” clearance and insisted Posco to seek a fresh clearance.
The NGT noted that although the MoU between the Orissa government and Posco had been signed for production of 12 million tones of steel per annum (MTPA), the environment assessment (EIA) report had been prepared only for four MTPA.
“This was a clear contradiction as resources of land, water and iron ore were allocated at 12 MPTS,” the NGT bench observed.
The NGT’s observation that a “project of this magnitude particularly in partnership with a foreign country has been dealt with casually, without there being any comprehensive scientific data regarding the possible environmental impacts. No meticulous scientific data was prepared on every aspect of the matter leaving threatening environmental doubts unanswered.”
The CAG has also come down heavily against the Posco deal pointing out serious irregularities in the entire land acquisition process and also warning that the government had misused the emergency provision of Section 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act.
The audit report pointed out that the state government had acquired 438 acre by paying a compensation of `11.85 acre while the present market value of the land was more than `65 crores. Infact, CAG’s report has stated that in all 4,967 acres of land valued at `165 crores had been acquired by six corporate houses between July 2002-11 in Orissa much below the prevailing market price.
The CAG was also critical of the emergency clause being invoked as it deprived the land losers of the opportunity to contest the propriety of such acquisition and to be heard under Section 5 A of the Land Acquisition Act.
Prashant Paikary, spokesperson for the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti said, “The project should immediately be scrapped or relocated as it would destroy the livelihood of thousands of farmers.”
Posco has gone public to state its willingness to adhere to the directives of NGT stating that “we are (willing) to ensure that we follow all directions given to us.”
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