With the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) showing the red flag to Posco and Vedanta projects in Orissa while giving a green signal to the Polavaram hydel project in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Biju Janata Dal has accused the UPA of hatching a conspiracy to sabotage the state’s growth.
All the 20 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of BJD on Wednesday staged a dharna in Parliament alleging that the Centre was adopting double standards when it came to obeying environmental laws.
Last week, the MoEF had issued a stop-work order for Posco’s proposed steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district citing non-implementation of Forest Rights Act. Two days ago, the N C Saxena panel recommended that Vedanta Aluminium should not be given mining rights in Niyamgiri as FRA of tribals living there had not been settled.