After a lengthy hearing with the state government officials present, the FAC decided to refer the possible violations of the Forest Rights Act to the Union ministry of tribal affairs before it reviews the stay on forest clearance again.
The FAC held its meeting in the wake of the four-member Meena Gupta committee report. In its majority report, it had cited violations of the Forest Right Act and falsification of data by the Orissa government to secure a clearance from the Centre. Even the dissenting note by the chair of the committee had pointed to violations of FRA but recommended that the rights of the people be ascertained as per process within three months.
The forest clearance that MoEF had earlier given to Posco under the Forest Conservation Act was predicated on the condition that the state government completes all the requirements under the Forest Rights Act.
When another committee of the MoEF, headed by National Advisory Council member N C Saxena found that the Orissa government had not implemented the provisions of the Forest Rights Act at the Posco site and demanded revocation of the forest clearance, the MoEF instead suspended its clearance temporarily.