The Orissa state government said that it had not violated the provisions of the Forest Rights Act and other laws while allocating land for the South Korean steel major POSCO.
In a detailed reply to the allegations leveled by the Meena Gupa Committee the state maintained that there had been no procedural violation in the entire exercise. Mr Bijay Patnaik state chief secretary told reporters that “We have clarified all the points raised by the Meena Gupta Committee. Our government has followed the rules and procedures properly.”
He said that Palli sabhas were held and views of the locals have been incorporated in the report submitted earlier to the MOEF.
All four members of the Meena Gupta Committee were unanimous in their view that the district administration had not adhered to the FRA while diverting forestland for industrial use.
To support its stance, the state is believed to have pointed out that the district administration had not received any claim from any one for settlement of traditional forest rights under the FRA.
Regarding violation of the environment and Coastal Regulation Zone rules, Mr Patnaik said that “It’s premature to raise such questions as the project is yet to come up.”
Significantly, the state government admitted for the first time that 21 tribal families were residing in the area. However, Mr Patnaik said that “These families do not live in the proposed project plant site. They reside in the same locality.”
The state government had been maintaining that no tribal or other traditional forest dwellers were residing in the project area.
Both the NC Saxena Committee and the Meena Gupta Committee had pointed out that there were a few tribal families in some of the villages where land was being acquired for the plant.
The state urged the Centre to allow work at the project site. The state government is also said to have agreed with the view that resettlement and rehabilitation package can be improved and the central government should make specific recommendations.
(Sourced from www.telegraphindia.com)
