Panel advises government against granting mining rights to Vedanta

A four-member committee headed by N C Saxena set up by the ministry of environment and forests to look into the proposal submitted by the Orissa Mining Company for bauxite mining in Niyamgiri has advised against granting mining licence in the ecologically fragile region. 

"The Orissa government is not likely to implement the Forest Rights Act in a fair and impartial manner as far as the proposed mining lease (PML) area is concerned. It has gone to the extent of forwarding false certificates and may do so again in future. The MoEF is advised not to believe the Orissa government's contentions without independent verification," the committee said in its report.

The committee also suggested that the central government should engage a credible professional authority to assist people in filing their claims under the community clause for the PML area with the state administration.

Even if the applications for habitat and community rights are filed, there is the danger that these can be arbitrarily rejected, it said.

The committee said the district and state authorities have violated rules regarding the consent of gram sabhas in diverting forest area for mining.

The proposed mining lease area, which lies on the upper reaches of the Niyamgiri hills, is surrounded by dense forests and is the habitat for diverse species of plant and animal life.