Centre rejects environment clearance to Vedanta bauxite mining project
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, August 24, 2010
I've acted purely on the merit of the case: Ramesh
The Centre has rejected environment clearance to the 1.7 billion dollars Vedanta bauxite mining project proposed in Orissa citing serious violation of forest and environment laws.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi on Monday, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said he has accepted the recommendation of Forest Advisory Committee, which sought withdrawal of forest and environment clearance to the Vedanta project.
He dismissed reports that the rejection is a sort of deal in lieu of clearance to the Korean steel giant Posco's proposed 54,000-crore rupees project in the state. Ramesh said just because his ministry had given in-principle approval to the project in 2007, it cannot be a fait accompli.
Mr. Ramesh said a show-cause notice was issued to the company asking why the clearance for the one million tonnes per annum alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Orissa should not be cancelled because of gross violation of environment norms.
Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik met the Prime Minister and the Environment Minister on Monday seeking environmental clearance of the Posco and Vedanta projects.
