Under-fire OSPCB files case against Bhushan, but fails to name MD

OST Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Nov 21:

At the receiving end of a lot of flak for its failure to act against Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL) despite the disastrous safety record at its Kantabania, Dhenkanal plant, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) finally filed a case against the company and the occupier of the plant before the Sub-Divisional Judiciary Magistrate (SDJM) of Dhenkanal on Thursday for commissioning the blast furnace II without obtaining the consent to operate from OSPCB.

Curiously, however, it did not name the Managing Director of the company Neeraj Singhal in the case since he is not the occupier, who applied for consent to establish and operate the blast furnace. It has filed the case against Executive Vice President Rahul Sengupta and CEO Atulya Kumar Verma instead for violation of pollution norms. Sengupta is also the whole time director (Technical) of BSL.

OSPCB member secretary LK Tiwari said a case has been filed in the SDJM court in Dhenkal for violation of Section 33 (a) of Water Pollution Act and Section 31 (a) of Air Pollution Act by the company.

It is to be noted that BSL CEO Atulya Kumar Verma, blast furnace in-charge Naveen Tyagi and operating head Meghpal Singh were arrested a day after the fire mishap occurred at the blast furnace killing two persons and injuring 29.

Yesterday, OSPCB had ordered the closure of the blast furnace II, power plant and the rolling mill operating inside the Bhushan Steel plant in Meramandali with immediate effect.