BSL's integrated steel plant gets MoEF Nod.

The New Indian Express reported that the sparring between Odisha Government and Ministry of Environment and Forests has finally ended up benefiting Bhushan Steel Limited with the latter restoring the final forest clearance in favour of the company for diversion of 61.48 hectare revenue forest and district protected forest land in Dhenkanal and Angul districts.

The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, in a letter to Dhenkanal Collector, has intimated the MoEF’s decision for the Stage II clearance under the Forest Conservation Act for establishment of Integrated Steel Plant by BSL.

After the company was found violating the FC Act by carrying out non-forest activities such as construction of road, compound wall and office building, the Stage II clearance was kept in abeyance by the Ministry.

However, both the State Government and Ministry kept passing the buck to each other over the violation of the FC Act while the former took a long time and ordered cancellation of the lease for 58.24 acres of revenue forest land earlier this year.

The company had run into trouble last year over explosion in its second blast furnace which had not received any statutory permission to operate.



STEELGURU