Orissa protests rejection of Vedanta clearance

BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Tuesday protested the union environment ministry’s rejection of London-listed Vedanta’s bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri hills, saying it was likely to affect industrialisation in the state as well as the country.

“It is unfortunate that the environment clearance was rejected. We have not received any communication from the (union environment) ministry yet,” state Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty told IANS.

“Once we receive the communication, we will examine it and take appropriate action,” he said.

“The state government has not done anything wrong. The stage one clearance was given by the environment and forest department after the Supreme Court cleared it,” he said.

“Now when there has been a lot of progress on the project, the latest move of the ministry is likely to affect the industrialisation, not only in Orissa but in the whole country,” he said.

The minister’s reaction came hours after Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday formally rejected Vedanta’s bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri hills in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district.