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Bhubaneswar
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik played a different ball game over the proposed Posco steel project keeping the people of the State guessing on the ultimate result.
Ramesh reacting on the question of environment clearance to Posco, had told mediapersons on Friday “ the ball is in the Odisha Government’s court”. Intestingly Ramesh who met the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday evening in the State secretariat made a ‘U’ turn saying, “ the ball is no longer in the State Government’s court. It is back in my court”.
And Patnaik, who made a sharp and timely administrative move to force the Union Minister to take back his political statement, later also echoed “you have heard the Union Minister Ramesh and the ball is today in his court.”
Ramesh who returned after winding up his two-day tour to Odisha said that during the meeting the Chief Minister had informed him that the State Government had on Saturday sent a bulky report of about 60 pages to his Ministry complying his queries on Palli Sabha resolutions. He would examine the report and consider giving the clearance basing on the parameters of law.
During the deliberation, Chief Secretary Bijoy Patnaik had clarified that the State Government stood by its earlier assurance report and said that the reported Palli Sabha resolution sent by the Posco Pratirodh Sangaram Samiti was fake and not legal. The State Government had annexed the resolution of the regular Palli Sabha held in the two villages- Dhinkia and Gobindpur along with the fresh report given on Saturday. Since the Government had submitted a compliance report, “the ball is back in my court”, Ramesh said. To a question he said, there was no problem or difference between the Chief Minister and himself. “The only difference is he is from the BJD and I am from the Congress”.
On the clearance of the proposed ultra mega thermal power project of public sector Odisha Power Generation Corportion at Durang, Ramesh said that there were three other proposals including the NTPC. But the fact remained that the area would not sustain the capacity of the three projects. Besides, there was no proposal from the State for environmental clearance.
For the OPGC project, he said and assured that once the proposal reached it would be examined which one would be given the go ahead signal.
However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the State Government was following up the Posco case and all information required by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had already been given. Now the Union Minister is to act,” the ball is in his court now”. The Chief Minister announced that fresh MoU of POSCO would be signed shortly. On the raw material issue, he said that the proposal for the granting the mining lease had already been submitted to the concerned department of Government of India. However, it was pending due to certain legal problems The State Government is following the matter, he said. On the OPGC issue, the Chief Minister said that the State Government would prioritise the proposal of the project of OPGC as the project would be most beneficial to the State. Earlier addressing a Press conference, Ramesh on the allegation of his POSCO and anti-Odisha stance, clarified. “My job is to clear the projects upholding the existing law”.
In any violation of environment and forest right act, we take action against the erring authorities and that was what done in case of Posco, he said.“ I have been described as a khalnayak. It is a completely bogus argument. Put out by people who have no other way of hiding their misdeeds”, he said pointing out a finger at the ruling BJD.
He said by upholding the laws passed by the Parliament and giving show-cause notices particularly in case of Posco and Vedanta, a misgivings is sought to be created that I was anti-Odisha. But I courted more anger from than Odisha from the Congress ruled States like Delhi, AP and Rajasthan. “I want that Odisha should industrialise and long before same people were championing the cause of industrialisation in Odisha, I had advocated this”, he said. Stating that he was being blamed for alleged withholding of forest clearance to Posco, but where is the MoU and where is the iron ore. How can I give clearance to a project without full knowledge of the source of raw material”, he questioned.
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik played a different ball game over the proposed Posco steel project keeping the people of the State guessing on the ultimate result.
Ramesh reacting on the question of environment clearance to Posco, had told mediapersons on Friday “ the ball is in the Odisha Government’s court”. Intestingly Ramesh who met the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday evening in the State secretariat made a ‘U’ turn saying, “ the ball is no longer in the State Government’s court. It is back in my court”.
And Patnaik, who made a sharp and timely administrative move to force the Union Minister to take back his political statement, later also echoed “you have heard the Union Minister Ramesh and the ball is today in his court.”
Ramesh who returned after winding up his two-day tour to Odisha said that during the meeting the Chief Minister had informed him that the State Government had on Saturday sent a bulky report of about 60 pages to his Ministry complying his queries on Palli Sabha resolutions. He would examine the report and consider giving the clearance basing on the parameters of law.
During the deliberation, Chief Secretary Bijoy Patnaik had clarified that the State Government stood by its earlier assurance report and said that the reported Palli Sabha resolution sent by the Posco Pratirodh Sangaram Samiti was fake and not legal. The State Government had annexed the resolution of the regular Palli Sabha held in the two villages- Dhinkia and Gobindpur along with the fresh report given on Saturday. Since the Government had submitted a compliance report, “the ball is back in my court”, Ramesh said. To a question he said, there was no problem or difference between the Chief Minister and himself. “The only difference is he is from the BJD and I am from the Congress”.
On the clearance of the proposed ultra mega thermal power project of public sector Odisha Power Generation Corportion at Durang, Ramesh said that there were three other proposals including the NTPC. But the fact remained that the area would not sustain the capacity of the three projects. Besides, there was no proposal from the State for environmental clearance.
For the OPGC project, he said and assured that once the proposal reached it would be examined which one would be given the go ahead signal.
However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the State Government was following up the Posco case and all information required by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had already been given. Now the Union Minister is to act,” the ball is in his court now”. The Chief Minister announced that fresh MoU of POSCO would be signed shortly. On the raw material issue, he said that the proposal for the granting the mining lease had already been submitted to the concerned department of Government of India. However, it was pending due to certain legal problems The State Government is following the matter, he said. On the OPGC issue, the Chief Minister said that the State Government would prioritise the proposal of the project of OPGC as the project would be most beneficial to the State. Earlier addressing a Press conference, Ramesh on the allegation of his POSCO and anti-Odisha stance, clarified. “My job is to clear the projects upholding the existing law”.
In any violation of environment and forest right act, we take action against the erring authorities and that was what done in case of Posco, he said.“ I have been described as a khalnayak. It is a completely bogus argument. Put out by people who have no other way of hiding their misdeeds”, he said pointing out a finger at the ruling BJD.
He said by upholding the laws passed by the Parliament and giving show-cause notices particularly in case of Posco and Vedanta, a misgivings is sought to be created that I was anti-Odisha. But I courted more anger from than Odisha from the Congress ruled States like Delhi, AP and Rajasthan. “I want that Odisha should industrialise and long before same people were championing the cause of industrialisation in Odisha, I had advocated this”, he said. Stating that he was being blamed for alleged withholding of forest clearance to Posco, but where is the MoU and where is the iron ore. How can I give clearance to a project without full knowledge of the source of raw material”, he questioned.
