Other States - Orissa   

Power project: public hearing cancelled

CUTTACK: Public hearing to assess the environment impact of the proposed 1000 MW thermal power project of Tata Company near Naraj, on the outskirts of the city here, was cancelled for the second time on Wednesday in view of the apprehensions of breach of peace.

Officials from State pollution control board, Tata Company and senior officials of the district, who gathered at the spot for the deferred public hearing, had to make a retreat at the last moment when the local police warned that the situation was not conducive to hold the same in view of the prevailing situation at the site.

City additional DCP Deba Prasad Mazumdar, who was camping at the site for past two days, informed the district administration that the situation at Naraj was not conducive to hold the public hearing on Wednesday as hundreds of pro and anti project activists were prepared to create serious law and order situation.

“In view of the police report that there is serious apprehension of breach of peace in the area, we had to cancel the public hearing”, said district land acquisition officer Aditya Mohapatra.

The public hearing, however, would be held at a later date, Mr. Mohapatra said adding that there were no proposals yet with regard to change the venue of the public hearing.

It may be mentioned here that the company officials had been insisting on change of venue for public hearing as some locals are opposed to the project and are creating disturbances.

In March this year, the public hearing was abruptly cancelled when the anti-project activists created a ruckus at the meeting spot ransacking the venue and taking the district official under captive for more than five hours.

A PIL filed in the Orissa High Court challenging the proposal to change the venue of public hearing on environment assessment was, however, dismissed on Wednesday.

The bench of Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice B.N. Mohapatra taking up the PIL that was filed on Tuesday said: “It was too late to interfere into the matter at this stage as the public hearing was scheduled for the day itself,” the HC said.

The locals had been opposing the project ever since the State government issued notification about the project in November last year.

They say the thermal power project would severely disturb the local environment and the Millennium city would be the hottest place in the State thereby putting the eight lakh populace in misery. The locals also allege that the project would deprive at least 20,000 villagers in the vicinity of their livelihood.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ekamra festival gets under way
PDS: officials stick to decision
Leopard cub rescued
Uma Bharti foresees split in BJP
Man robbed of Rs. 3 lakhs
Power project: public hearing cancelled
State moves to rein in staff of buses
Strike by lawyers will be viewed as bad in law: HC
Niyamgiri tribals’ plea to apex court

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu