New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) It took almost five years for South Korean steel major Posco’s $12 billion project in Orissa to get an environment clearance. The environment ministry Monday gave final approval to the project. Here is the timeline:
June 2005: The Orissa government and Posco sign an agreement for setting up a steel plant in the state.
September 2006: Posco applies for environmental clearance for the captive port. It is granted in May 2007.
April 2007: Posco applies for environmental clearance for the captive power-cum-steel plant. It is granted in July 2007.
June 2007: The Orissa government seeks approval from the environment ministry for diversion of 1,253 hectares of forest land to Posco.
September 2008: The stage-one clearance for diversion of forest land is granted. The final clearance for diversion of forest land is given in December 2009.
January 2010: The environment ministry tells the Orissa government that the final approval for diversion of forest land is conditional and subject to the settlement of rights of forest dwellers.
March 2010: The Orissa government says there are no traditional forest dwellers in the area.
April 2010: The ministry forms committee under N.C. Saxena which finds that there are forest dwellers in the area.
July 2010: A four-member committee under former environment secretary Meena Gupta is formed to examine all issues relating to transfer of forest land.
August 2011: The ministry puts project on hold.
October 2010: The four-member committee in its report gives a divided opinion.
January 2011: The ministry gives conditional clearance to the project.
April 13, 2011: The Orissa government assures that no traditional forest dwellers are dependent on or cultivating land in the project area.
April 14, 2011: The ministry rejects states’s assurance following the representations by Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti.
April 29, 2011: The Orissa government reiterates that no traditional forest dwellers are dependent on or cultivating land in the project area.
May 2, 2011: Posco gets final approval.
