The Telegraph - Calcutta : Frontpage - Opp. smells Jindal scam

The Telegraph - Calcutta : Frontpage

Opp. smells Jindal scam
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bhubaneswar, July 6: After Vedanta, the issue of alleged concession given by the Naveen Patnaik government to Jindal Stainless today generated heat in the Orissa assembly with the Opposition demanding a CBI probe into an alleged scam.

Steel and mines minister Padmanabha Behera, on the other hand, stoutly refuted the allegation and rejected a CBI probe.

Moving an Opposition-sponsored adjournment motion, former minister and senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik alleged the state-owned Orissa Mining Corporation had supplied chrome ore to Jindal Stainless at a concessional price of about Rs 2,000 per tonne for export. This resulted in huge revenue loss of Rs 100crore to the exchequer, he alleged.

The Congress leader claimed the PSU had supplied 87,890 tonnes of chrome ore to Jindal at Rs 2,834 per tonne against a market price of Rs 5,100. Excise duty and education tax was also not imposed on the chrome ore exported by Jindal Stainless, he added.

Alleging that there is a nexus between the central government’s Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation, Patnaik dared the state government to “order a CBI probe to prove its much-professed transparency and honesty”.

Supporting the demand for a CBI inquiry, deputy leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra alleged a huge kickback had changed hands in the deal. He wondered as to how chrome ore was supplied to Jindal when the company had not even started production and when it had its own captive mines.

Responding to the Opposition allegation, the steel and mines minister rejected that any concession was made to Jindal Stainless.

He also washed off his hands stating that export price for chrome ore and concentrate is fixed by MMTC, the only authorised canalising agency appointed by the Union government.

Behera claimed the chrome traders of the state had earlier deposited export duty on chrome ore at the rate of Rs 2,000, which, he said, “became effective from March 1 this year”.

He rejected the demand for a CBI probe, even as the Opposition stormed the Well of the House.

Betel cultivators` yes to Posco steel project

Betel cultivators` yes to Posco steel project

Betel cultivators` yes to Posco steel project
Dillip Satapathy / Bhubaneswar July 28, 2007
In a major breakthrough in the imbroglio over land acquisition for Posco’s 12-million-tonne steel project near Paradip in Orissa, betel cultivators at Nuagaon village, within the project site, have dismantled their vineyards in lieu of compensation.

According to sources, four betel farm owners have accepted compensation to the tune of Rs 4.8 lakh, while 20 more who had surrendered their claim on betel vineyards are expected to be paid around Rs 15 lakh in a couple of days.

The farmers are being paid according to the rate fixed by the state government. Company sources said they had received about 200 applications from local farmers for payment of compensation for the surrender of their claim.

These were being verified and would be cleared in a phased manner, they added.

It may be noted that betel leaves are mostly cultivated over encroached government land in the proposed Posco plant area. There are about 1,600 betel farms in Nuagaon alone.

Posco required for its plant 4004 acres of land in three grampanchayats, namely Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gada Kujanga. Of this, 3567 acres is government land and 437 acres is private land. Most of the government land, however, is encroached upon by betel cultivators.

It may be noted that about 3,000 people working at the betel farms in Gadakujanga, Dhinkia and Nuagaon are among the most vocal opponents of the project as they fear loss of employment.

They have become soft targets for anti-Posco agitators. Keeping this in mind, the state government is framing a separate package for these workers, in addition to the existing rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policy formulated last year.

According to state Chief Secretary Ajit Tripathy, the stalemate over land acquisition is gradually giving way and people in the site area are coming out in support of the project.

The Telegraph - Calcutta : Frontpage

Opp. smells Jindal scam
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bhubaneswar, July 6: After Vedanta, the issue of alleged concession given by the Naveen Patnaik government to Jindal Stainless today generated heat in the Orissa assembly with the Opposition demanding a CBI probe into an alleged scam.

Steel and mines minister Padmanabha Behera, on the other hand, stoutly refuted the allegation and rejected a CBI probe.

Moving an Opposition-sponsored adjournment motion, former minister and senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik alleged the state-owned Orissa Mining Corporation had supplied chrome ore to Jindal Stainless at a concessional price of about Rs 2,000 per tonne for export. This resulted in huge revenue loss of Rs 100crore to the exchequer, he alleged.

The Congress leader claimed the PSU had supplied 87,890 tonnes of chrome ore to Jindal at Rs 2,834 per tonne against a market price of Rs 5,100. Excise duty and education tax was also not imposed on the chrome ore exported by Jindal Stainless, he added.

Alleging that there is a nexus between the central government’s Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation, Patnaik dared the state government to “order a CBI probe to prove its much-professed transparency and honesty”.

Supporting the demand for a CBI inquiry, deputy leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra alleged a huge kickback had changed hands in the deal. He wondered as to how chrome ore was supplied to Jindal when the company had not even started production and when it had its own captive mines.

Responding to the Opposition allegation, the steel and mines minister rejected that any concession was made to Jindal Stainless.

He also washed off his hands stating that export price for chrome ore and concentrate is fixed by MMTC, the only authorised canalising agency appointed by the Union government.

Behera claimed the chrome traders of the state had earlier deposited export duty on chrome ore at the rate of Rs 2,000, which, he said, “became effective from March 1 this year”.

He rejected the demand for a CBI probe, even as the Opposition stormed the Well of the House.
Top

The Statesman

Approval for Aerial Prospecting over large areas/Ministry of Mines: "9. M/s Metmin Finance & Holding Ltd. Copper, lead, zinc, Nickel, gold, silver & associated minerals 181.47 Sq. Kms. Distt. Sirohi (Rajasthan)

18.6.1997


11.8.1997"

KalingaTimes.com : Orissa Opposition attacks POSCO project

KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar : The battle lines were clearly drawn when the Orissa Assembly discussed about the proposed POSCO steel project on Thursday. While the Opposition questioned the project on a number of grounds, the government defended the venture with all seriousness.

What emerged from the whole exercise? The government stood thoroughly exposed with regard to its role in facilitating the implementation of the 12 million tonne per annum capacity steel plant involving the country biggest ever foreign direct investment of Rs 51,000 crore.

The House was discussing an adjournment motion moved by Opposition Chief Whip Satyabhushan Sahu on opposition to land acquisition for the project in three gram panchayats of Jagatsinghpur district.

Leader of the Opposition J B Patnaik strongly demanded that the project be shifted from the its proposed location in Jagatsinghpur to the place near Gopalpur where Tata Steel had acquired land for a steel project several years ago. The Gopalpur port may be handed over to POSCO for its use, he said.

There is no need to displace people in Jagatsinghpur as they were strongly opposed to displacement for making space for the POSCO steel mill, Patnaik said.

The Opposition legislators also came down heavily on the State government for favouring POSCO on various counts.

The steel project should not be accorded the SEZ status at any cost as it would cause severe financial losses to the State, the Opposition said.

They also opposed the move to grant mining lease to the Korean company saying that the company be asked to purchase iron ore at market rate.

The captive port project of POSCO also faced opposition. The company should be asked to use Paradip port instead of setting up its own port facility, many Opposition legislators said.