CPI demands annulment of green clearance to Posco project

Bhubaneswar, Jan 11:

While the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) has decided to intensify its protest against the proposed Posco steel plant project and stage a protest rally during the visit of South Korean President to the country, CPI on Saturday sought a reversal of the environmental clearance granted to the steel project and asked the government not to ignore the recommendations of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

In a statement the Central Secretariat of the party said the people’s resistance against the project and objections by the NGT should not be ignored.

“Government should take note of the popular resistance and also the opposition of the NGT under the Forest Conservation Act. It should not ride rough-shod over all this opposition in the name of development,” read the statement.

Strongly opposing the green nod granted by the MoEF to the eight million tonne per annum steel plant project, the party demanded its withdrawal saying, “We are all for development with people’s consent.”

“Veerappa Moily, now installed as the Environment Minister, has taken a U-turn overturning the earlier decision of the Ministry,” the party statement said.

The statement further said the decision was taken “by a sleight of hand de-linking the proposals of ‘captive port’ and ‘mining’ of iron ore from the proposal of the steel plant. It is well-known that the original proposal at Posco was for an integrated project.”

Meanwhile, PPSS leader Abhay Sahu has said they will not allow any construction work at the proposed plant site of the company.