Vedanta bauxite project environment clearance rejected
In a big blow to Vedanta Resources, the government on Tuesday rejected environment clearance to its $1.7 billion bauxite mining project in Orissa after accepting recommendations of its key panel clearing such ventures.
Giving reasons for the denial of clearance, environment minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters that "there has been a very serious violation of Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act and the Forest Rights Act.
"There have been no emotions and no politics and no prejudice involved in this report. I have taken this decision in a proper legal approach," he said. The decision came after the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) which had submitted the report to Mr Ramesh after reviewing the suggestions given by the N.C. Saxena panel seeking ban on the mining project in Orissa's Niyamgiri Hills in view of various violations at the site.
The Saxena report has citied many violations of the in-principle environment clearance given to Orissa Mining Corporation in 2008 including non-compliance with the provisions of the Forest Rights Act.
"The consent certificate of the gram sabha was fake," the panel said in its report while recommending not to approve the project because of large scale violations.
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