Orissa sends FRA compliance report to MoEF

The Orissa government has finally sent its report to the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) on compliance with Forest Rights Act (FRA) at the Posco project site, reiterating its earlier stand that there are no tribals or Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) at the project site.

"The report pertaining to compliance with FRA at the Posco project site has already been sent to the MoEF. In our report, we have clarified that there are no tribals or OTFDs at the project site", B K Patnaik, the state Chief Secretary told mediapersons.

The report has been sent to the MoEF following the approval of the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He also stated that the state government is yet to receive the letter from the Union minister for environment & forests Jairam Ramesh on the concerns raised by Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) regarding violation of FRA at the Posco project site and added, "We will do the needful once we get the letter".

It may be noted that PPSS, the organization spearheading the anti-Posco movement in the state, had raised its concerns relating to the presence of OTFD at the Posco project site and reluctance of the locals to allow diversion of forest land for the project through an e-mail to the Union minister for environment & forests.

Ramesh had shot off a letter to Orissa Chief Minister on last Monday, stating that the state government should look into the allegations of PPSS. He had further stated that it is the state government's responsibility to ensure implementation of FRA. In its e-mail to Ramesh, PPSS had claimed that there are OTFDs at the Posco site and there is sufficient evidence to prove this fact. It has also stated that during the palli sabha conducted on February 21 and 23 at the Posco site, the locals had opposed the Forest Diversion Plan for the Posco steel plant.

However, the state government in its report to the MoEF has clarified that the palli sabha held in February was not valid as it was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Gram Panchayat Act.