BNO Desk: Breaking News! Raising doubts on the impartiality of the Centre to the state, the Orissa government has questioned the blockage of the Posco project in the state as well protested against the union environment minister on the displacement of the tribals by approving Polavaram Dam in Andhra Pradesh.

As the two prestigious projects in Orissa, Posco Steel and Vedanta bauxite mining have been blocked after the Saxena-Pandey committee appointed by the Centre, came out with their findings about violations in the Posco project area according to the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The state government has appealed the environment ministry to reconsider its order “stop work”.

According to Saxena-Devendra Pandey committee report, Posco project is violating the tribal rights under the law of FRA and the process of settlement of tribals under the Act have not proceeded beyond the initial stage. Ultimately, the environment ministry went for a stop work order for the project.

Similarly, the approval of Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh is gearing up the tensions that the tribal groups would lose their lands. But, the environment ministry claims that no forestland will be submerged in the process of the project.

The BJD MPs from Orissa on Wednesday protested against the environment minister Jairam Ramesh saying his policies as 'anti-tribal'. According to BJD MP in Lok Sabha A.S. Sethi, thousands of the tribals seem to be displaced in an upcoming Polavaram project. However, the proposed project will put no impact in Orissa, but the stop work order of both Posco and Vedanta project must affect Orissa people.

Bookmark this on Delicious