A forest panel examining any potential violation of forest laws for a proposed steel mill by South Korea’s POSCO in Orissa has recommended temporary withdrawal of existing permits, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday.
The long-delayed plant in India’s eastern state of Orissa has been stalled by protests and environmental reports spearheaded by Jairam Ramesh, who has scrapped many big-ticket projects including some by London-listed miner Vedanta Resources Plc.
POSCO is among several companies that have come under scrutiny from Ramesh, whose tough approach has sparked criticism from businesses and even other members of the government pushing for rapid industrialisation.