Forest Panel May Take Up Jindal Steel Proposal This Week

New Delhi: The proposal for diversion of forest land for Jindal Steel and Power Ltd's (JSPL) coal mining project in Jharkhand may come up for discussion in a high-level panel meeting likely this week.

The proposal for "diversion of... forest land for Jitpur open cast coal mining project by Godda forest department in favour of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd" will be discussed in the forest advisory committee meeting proposed to be convened on September 22-23, an official document said.

JSPL was allocated the Jitpur coal mine in Chupperbita coalfield in Jharkhand in February 2007 for its power plant. The coal block has geological reserves of 81.09 million tonnes (MT).

The environment ministry had in November, 2012 accorded stage-I (preliminary) forest clearance (FC) to mining project was but with certain conditions, the document said.

The Coal Ministry had in March asked JSPL to obtain stage II (final) FC for the block from environment ministry by November 30 and furnish a proof thereof by December 1, failing which the mine would be deallocated without any further notice.

The decision by the coal ministry was taken following the recommendations of an inter-ministerial group (IMG) on coal blocks.

The panel was set up under the chairmanship of additional coal secretary to review the progress of development of captive coal blocks allotted to private companies.

The IMG has members from various ministries, including steel and power.