MAJORITY OF POSCO ENQUIRY COMMITTEE CONFIRMS THAT POSCO PROJECT IS ILLEGAL

Today, three of the four members of the committee set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests confirmed that the POSCO project is illegal and that all of its clearances were obtained by breaking the law. The Committee has also found that the project has potentially very dangerous impacts on issues like water, air pollution, and the coastline, and none of this was ever properly... Read More

Govt expands scope of panel for Posco project Read more: Govt expands scope of panel for Posco project

The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government has decided to widen the ambit of the Meena Gupta committee, which is looking into the Rs 50,000-crore Posco Integrated Steel Project to review the case not only for its compliance with the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and Forest Conservation Act. The panel will also be asked to investigate the compliance of the state government and the project... Read More

Environment Ministry Directs Orissa Government To Stop Work On The POSCO Project

The Environment Ministry today finally issued a welcome but ambiguous order directing the Orissa government to stop work on the POSCO project and the illegal process of forest land takeovers that is taking place.   While giving some immediate relief by stopping the illegal land grabbing that the Orissa government started last week, the order is silent on the basic issue:... Read More

NC Saxena’s letter to Jairam Ramesh on FRA violation at POSCO Site

3 August 2010 Sub: Forest Rights Act violation at POSCO site, Orissa Dear Shri Jairam Ramesh, As you are aware, three members of the MoEF/MoTA Committee (Arupjyoti Saikia, Ravi Rebbapragada and Ashish Kothari) went to Jagatsinghpur as part of the MoEF/MoTA FRA Committee’s work. While there, they enquired about the FRA process in the district, including the villages to be affected... Read More

MoEF/MoTA Committee Report of visit to Jagatsinghpur

MoEF/MoTA Committee on Forest Rights Act Report of visit to Jagatsinghpur (site of proposed POSCO project), Orissa, 23-24 July 2010 4 August 2010 Introduction Three members of the MoEF/MoTA Committee (Arupjyoti Saikia, Ravi Rebbapragada and Ashish Kothari) went to Jagatsinghpur as part of the MoEF/MoTA FRA Committee’s study tour of Orissa. Apart from Jagatsinghpur, the... Read More

Appeal for protest against illegal land acquisition in Gadakujang Panchayat for POSCO project

Dear all, The MoU between the state government of Odisha and POSCO steel company expired on 21st June 2010. Despite that the land acquisition and eviction from beetle vines in Gadakujang area is continuing by the district administration of Jagatsingpur and IIDCO in presence of the office bearers of POSCO! What is the locus standi of the district administration in occupying the land... Read More

Land acquisition for Posco resumes

Economic Times PARADIP (ORISSA): Land acquisition for the Rs 51,000 crore Posco steel project near here in Jagatsinghpur district resumed today after a day’s halt following opposition to it. “Acquisition of land in some areas under Gada Kujang gram panchayat was resumed with the consent of the affected people,” Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Paradip, Saroj... Read More

Pro-Posco outfit splits, land acquisition process halts

Paradip (Orissa), Aug 2 (PTI) The United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco project outfit today split with many villagers openly opposing the proposed mega steel project as the administration failed to carry forward land acquisition process due to a road blockade. The members of UAC headed by its president Anadi Rout staged a road blockade at Gada Kujang preventing officials from... Read More

POSCO: reply to Raja’s question in Rajya Sabha

This is the full question and reply from Monday in the Rajya Sabha relating to POSCO. Unfortunately Raja has phrased the question badly, referring to environmental rather than forest clearance, so they have dodged the point blank question as to whether they will withdraw it or not. It does however say that the government should not take the land. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF... Read More

Letter to Jairam Ramesh on the committee set up for POSCO matters

31 July 2010 To Shri Jairam Ramesh Hon. Minister of State Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) Government of India Ref: Committee set up by the MoEF to look into POSCO matter Dear Sir, This is with reference to the committee set up by your ministry to look into the forest rights issues and others in POSCO project area in Orissa. We, the undersigned, are shocked that the... Read More