MoEF hearing on Vedanta refinery project on Sept 30

The Pioneer, Sept 29, 2010
PNS, Bhubaneswar

The Vedanta Group on Tuesday sought the State Government's help for getting Central nod for its different projects including Vedanta University at Puri. Vedanta Aluminum Limited (VAL) requested the Government to respond to the Ministry of Environment Forests (MoEF) queries on Vedanta's proposed `15,000 crore university project at Puri.

VAL of Vedanta Group, which is alleged to have violated several laws, is scheduled to appear before the MoEF on September 30 for hearing on its Lanjigarh refinery issue.

Senior vice-president of Vedanta Group AK Samal met Chief Secretary BK Patnaik and apprised him about the various issues concerning its different projects. After the meeting Samal told mediapersons that the VAL has been asked to appear before MoEF for giving reply to the show cause notice.

VAL's proposed mining project at Niyamgiri hills was rejected by the Ministry last month after the NC Saxena Committee said Vedanta was violating the Environment Protection Law and the Forest Conservation Act. Vedanta was issued a show cause notice by the Ministry to reply to questions raised by the Saxena Committee on August 31. The company was also accused of procuring bauxite from 11 'illegal' mines in Jharkhand.

Claiming vociferously that the VAL had committed no mistake in implementing various laws and had abide by the directions of Supreme Court, Samal said that things would be clear at the September 30 hearing in Delhi. "We are hopeful that the MoEF will realise that the company has done no mistake both in its proposed mining project as well as refinery project at Lanjigarh," he quipped.

Samal also raised the functioning of its new thermal power plant at Jharsuguda during his meeting with the Chief Secretary. "Besides, we have urged the State Government to respond to the MoEF's queries on Vedanta's proposed `15,000 crore university project at Puri," Samal said.

The Anil Agarwal Foundation's world class university project was at a standstill after the Ministry raised some questions on alleged violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act.