Defending its stand on Posco project, the Orissa government has claimed before the Centre that the Forest Right Act, 2006, does not apply to the land earmarked to house the proposed mega steel plant near Paradip, officials said.
The State government’s view was intimated to H C Chaudhary, assistant inspector general of forests under the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), who on August 5 had issued a direction to the State’s forest and environment department to stop project-related works at the proposed site for Posco.
“The FRA, 2006 is not applicable to the land identified for Posco project because neither any tribal family resides in the area nor any other traditional forest dweller (OTFD) has been staying there for more than 75 years,” the State government’s response said.
Stating that under the Act tribals residing on forest land or OTFDs inhabiting on a forest patch for over 75 years can make claim rights over the land, the State government pointed out that no such situation exists in the three gram panchayat areas.
The area earmarked to house the Rs 51,000 crore project, was declared as forest land barely 49 years ago, the State government wrote in its letter to Chaudhary.
