BJD legislators say ban stalls development
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators on Saturday to chose the Orissa Legislative Assembly to vent their “anger” against Union forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh for asking the state government to stop all activities, including land acquisition, at the proposed Posco steel project site near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.
Saturday was the last of the budget session of the Assembly. Absence of the Congress and BJP — the two major Opposition parties — in the Assembly saw the BJD legislators firing salvos to their heat-content at the Union forest and environment ministry.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour, senior BJD leader Ananta Das said the state government had begun land acquisition at the project site with due clearances by the Union forest and environment ministry. But the fresh order by the same ministry asking to stop land acquisition was attempt to thwart the project,” he alleged.
Mr Das questioned the authenticity of the report of NC Saxena Committee that threw lights on “violation” of Forest Rights Act (FRA) and “overlooking” of the presence of other traditional forest dwellers (OTFD) by the local district administration saying that the findings were not based on facts.
“On June 26, 2007, the state government had recommended the Centre for acquisition of 1235 hectares of forest land which was given final clearance by the Union forest and environment ministry on December 29, 2009. By issuing a ban order on the all activities in the project site, the Union minister has put a hurdle on the path of the state’s economic progress,” the veteran leader said.
He added that the ban was “anti-development”.
Supporting Mr Das, his party colleague Pravat Kumar Tripathy said when the Planning Commission and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were interested for the Rs 52,000-crore project, the Union forest and environment ministry was deliberately creating troubles for the project.
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had requested chief minister Naveen Patnaik to go ahead with the Posco project. One wonders when the UPA government is interested for the project, why is the environment ministry is posing hurdles time and again?” asked Mr Tripathy.
Post new comment