Environment panel to submit POSCO report Oct 11

NEW DELHI - Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Monday said the panel probing violation of laws by South Korean steel major POSCO’s $12 billion project in Orissa will submit its report Oct 11.

“The panel has finalised its report and will submit it on Oct 11,” said Ramesh.

The ministry in August had increased the scope of investigation of the panel by asking it to review compliance with environmental protection and coastal zone regulations at the proposed POSCO site in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district.

Besides, the committee will review compliance with statutory provisions, approvals, clearances and permissions under various statutes, rules and notifications.

The ministry had also extended the date of submission of the committee’s report from Aug 28 to Sep 30.

The ministry set up the Meena Gupta panel in July after the Orissa government opposed the report by a previous panel led by National Advisory Council member and former bureaucrat N.C. Saxena, which recommended stoppage of work pointing to violations including of the Forest Rights Act.

Based on this report, the ministry Aug 5 asked the state government to halt all work related to the project.

The South Korean firm POSCO (Pohang Iron and Steel Company) had signed a deal with the Orissa government in 2005 to set up the project near the port town of Paradip, some 100 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, by 2016.

POSCO requires about 4,004 acres, mostly government land, for the project. Of the land earmarked, 2,900 acres is forest land.

Thousands of villagers have been protesting against the project, saying it will displace them from their homeland and ruin their betel leaf farms.

POSCO and the state government however maintain that the project will bring prosperity and employment to the impoverished region.