Bhubaneswar, October 3 (IANS). The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notice to the Odisha government, the district collector and the Superintendent of Jharsuguda police and others. This notice was issued in connection with the allegations that an integrated steel plant in the Jharsuguda district was hampered by more than 5 hectares of forest land. While the petition submitted by local social activist Sejathan Meher heard, the tribunal ordered all the governmental authorities as well as the representatives of the said steel business to submit their answer within one month of receiving the order. The social worker claims in his petition that Iron and Steel Company manage an integrated steel plant, a prisoner power station and a cement meal at Markuta in Jharsuguda Village. The requester claims that the said company entered the forest land illegally, which was recorded as a rural forest farmer in Ror in Markuta in the Jharsuguda district. He further claimed that the company had earlier applied for 5,229 hectares of forest land, but the proposal was canceled. “The company has not submitted a new proposal for distraction,” Squid Prasad Pani, lawyer of the requester, said on Friday. Shankar Prasad Pani further stated that in response to the RTI application submitted by the applicant, the Divisional Bosad Officer, in response to the RTI application that the company had not yet received forest approval on integrated steel plants and other projects. However, construction activities were done without the approval of the Central Government under section 2 of the Follant (Protection) Act, 1980. not. On July 8, Naib Sarpanch of Mercuta Gram Panchayat also applied to the forest officer of the Jharsuguda forest department and the Tehsildar of Jharsuguda regarding illegal oversight on forest land, but so far no steps have been taken by the relevant officials. -Ians bag/abm
Switching by Steel Plant, NGT Notice to the Government of Odisha, Collector
