New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) Welcoming the conditional clearance to its $12 billion steel project in Orissa, the Indian subsidiary of South Korean steel major Posco said Monday that it will resolve the concerns raised by the people living in the vicinity of the project. Industry bodies said the move will shore up India's investment-friendly credentials.
'We fully appreciate the concerns of different stakeholders on sustainability of environment as well as livelihood of affected people,' Posco-India said in a statement issued here.
The project, which is the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, was stopped by the environment ministry after concerns were raised by environmentalists and local inhabitants.
Posco requires about 4,004 acres, mostly government land, for its project in Jagatsinghpur district, about 100 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. Of the land earmarked, 2,900 acres is forest land.
Thousands of villagers have been opposing the project, saying it will displace them from their homelands and ruin their betel leaf farms.
The environment ministry Monday gave its approval to the project, provided the company fulfilled a host of requirements towards maintaining the ecological balance of the region.
According to Posco, it is committed to take sustainable green initiatives to conserve the fragile environment of the area, while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the locals.
'As a responsible corporate citizen of India, we will continue to work for the welfare of the local community and, plough back a part of earnings for CSR (corporate social responsibility) after the operations commence,' the statement added.
Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) also welcomed the move and said that a careful balance has to be maintained for protection of the environment and safeguarding the interests of the local inhabitants.
'In producing a careful balance between developmental goals and growth objectives, optimal level of environment protection, and concern for the human dimensions of change, we welcome the Posco clearance which will meet the multiple objectives,' FICCI's secretary general Amit Mitra said.
FICCI said that it hoped that the conditions in approval for the project are viable for long term sustainability.
Meanwhile, another industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said the decision to approve the project would help build the country's image to attract foreign investment.
'CII is hopeful that this decision would pave the way for future greenfield projects and capacity additions within a reasonable time frame,' CII's director general Chandrajit Banerjee said.
The $12 billion investment is intended for an integrated steel, mining and port project. The investment would also be directed towards a captive power plant to provide electricity to the steel plant.
Separate clearance had to be given to all three projects within the integrated steel plant by the environment ministry.
The ministry has imposed 28 additional conditions as part of the environmental clearance for the steel-cum-captive power plant and 32 conditions are imposed while according environmental clearance to the captive minor port in the state.
On the issue of transfer of land for the project, the ministry has asked the state government to provide a comprehensive package to forest dwellers in the area.
'Undoubtedly, projects like Posco have considerable economic, technological and strategic significance for the country but at the same time, laws on environment and forests must be implemented,' said Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
The environment ministry had put the project on hold, citing violations of environment and forest laws by the company.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Azad encounter caseWe cannot allow the Republic to kill its own children:supreme court
Press Trust Of India / New Delhi January 15, 2011, 0:31 IST
The Supreme Court today sought an answer from the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government on the killings of Naxal leader Azad and journalist Hemchandra Pandey in an alleged fake encounter.
“We cannot allow the Republic killing its own children,” a bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha said.
The court made the observation while issuing notices to the Centre and the state government on a petition filed by social activist Swami Agnivesh and Pandey’s 30-year-old widow, Babita, seeking a judicial probe into the killings.
The bench asked the Centre and the state government to reply within six weeks. “We hope there will be a answer. There will be a good and convincing answer,” the bench said. “The government will have to answer so many questions.”
Cherukuri Rajkumar, alias Azad, a senior member of banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) Central Committee, and Pandey, dubbed by the police as a Naxal, were killed in an alleged fake encounter on the intervening night of July 1-2, 2010, in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh, close to Maharashtra.
The petition alleged the post-mortem reports of both persons and a fact-finding exercise carried out by rights groups clearly indicated that the encounter was not genuine.
The petitioners referred to the fact-finding carried out by Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations, a national coalition of human rights organisations, that both were killed by the Andhra Pradesh Police in blatant violation of their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
The petition alleged that Azad, 58, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head, and Pandey, 32, were killed from a very close range, evident from the post-mortem reports.
The Supreme Court today sought an answer from the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government on the killings of Naxal leader Azad and journalist Hemchandra Pandey in an alleged fake encounter.
“We cannot allow the Republic killing its own children,” a bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha said.
The court made the observation while issuing notices to the Centre and the state government on a petition filed by social activist Swami Agnivesh and Pandey’s 30-year-old widow, Babita, seeking a judicial probe into the killings.
The bench asked the Centre and the state government to reply within six weeks. “We hope there will be a answer. There will be a good and convincing answer,” the bench said. “The government will have to answer so many questions.”
Cherukuri Rajkumar, alias Azad, a senior member of banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) Central Committee, and Pandey, dubbed by the police as a Naxal, were killed in an alleged fake encounter on the intervening night of July 1-2, 2010, in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh, close to Maharashtra.
The petition alleged the post-mortem reports of both persons and a fact-finding exercise carried out by rights groups clearly indicated that the encounter was not genuine.
The petitioners referred to the fact-finding carried out by Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations, a national coalition of human rights organisations, that both were killed by the Andhra Pradesh Police in blatant violation of their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
The petition alleged that Azad, 58, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head, and Pandey, 32, were killed from a very close range, evident from the post-mortem reports.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Now Orissa can tackle maoist menace:state home secretary
Fuelled with "adequate force" and enthused by the elimination of at least 14 rebels in a span of 10 days, Orissa government today said it was now ready to prevent Maoist attacks and take on ultras in jungles and hideouts.
Orissa home secretary UN Behera said the state now could successfully prevent Maoist attacks as it had "adequate force comprising five battalions of BSF and seven battalions of CRPF besides its elite anti-Maoist Special Operation Group (SOG)."
While one battalion force comprises 540 personnel, one unit of SOG has 30 members. About 50 units of SOG was engaged in anti-Maoist operation in the state, officials said.
The home secretary described yesterday's encounter in Badangmali area of Rayagada district in which nine ultras, including four women, were killed as an "intelligence based operation," and said the state has developed intelligence network to track ultras movements.
"We expect recovery of more bodies from jungles in Badangmali area of Rayagada district," deputy inspector general of police (south-western), Soumendra Priyadarshi said.
"We have recovered about half-a-truck load of arms and ammunition including INSAS rifles from Maoist hideouts in Rayagada where search is on for more bodies," the DIG said.
One of the ultras killed in Rayagada was identified as D Srinivas Rao alias Ramesh, considered as 'guru' of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda. Andhra Pradesh government had announced Rs3 lakh reward on Ravi, he said.
Ravi was heading Kashipur Dalam of the out-lawed CPI (Maoist) in Orissa, Behera said.
Five ultras including, four women were, gunned down at Tamka in Jajpur district on January 2 in an encounter with security personnel.
Around a dozen of them, including five teenage girls, have, meanwhile, surrendered before the police expressing their desire to return to the mainstream, he said.
Orissa government feels implementation of integrated action plan in 15 Maoist-hit and backward areas has started paying dividend. About Rs850 crore would be spent on these developmental work in next two years, the home secretary said.
Orissa home secretary UN Behera said the state now could successfully prevent Maoist attacks as it had "adequate force comprising five battalions of BSF and seven battalions of CRPF besides its elite anti-Maoist Special Operation Group (SOG)."
While one battalion force comprises 540 personnel, one unit of SOG has 30 members. About 50 units of SOG was engaged in anti-Maoist operation in the state, officials said.
The home secretary described yesterday's encounter in Badangmali area of Rayagada district in which nine ultras, including four women, were killed as an "intelligence based operation," and said the state has developed intelligence network to track ultras movements.
"We expect recovery of more bodies from jungles in Badangmali area of Rayagada district," deputy inspector general of police (south-western), Soumendra Priyadarshi said.
"We have recovered about half-a-truck load of arms and ammunition including INSAS rifles from Maoist hideouts in Rayagada where search is on for more bodies," the DIG said.
One of the ultras killed in Rayagada was identified as D Srinivas Rao alias Ramesh, considered as 'guru' of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda. Andhra Pradesh government had announced Rs3 lakh reward on Ravi, he said.
Ravi was heading Kashipur Dalam of the out-lawed CPI (Maoist) in Orissa, Behera said.
Five ultras including, four women were, gunned down at Tamka in Jajpur district on January 2 in an encounter with security personnel.
Around a dozen of them, including five teenage girls, have, meanwhile, surrendered before the police expressing their desire to return to the mainstream, he said.
Orissa government feels implementation of integrated action plan in 15 Maoist-hit and backward areas has started paying dividend. About Rs850 crore would be spent on these developmental work in next two years, the home secretary said.
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