ROURKELA: The public hearing on environmental clearance for expansion of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) evoked positive response on Monday, September 13, 2021, but some BJD leaders voiced their dissent accusing RSP of not fulfilling its social commitments.
The hearing held by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) at Bhanja Bhawan exhibition ground here was presided over by Sundargarh ADM Biswajit Mohapatra. A total of 34 responses were received of which seven opposed the expansion.
Leaders of different political parties including Birmitrapur BJP MLA Shankar Oram, Rourkela district Congress committee president George Tirkey and almost all trade unions of RSP supported the expansion. However, former secretary of State BJD AC Mohanty described the public hearing as farce and demanded that the RSP fulfil its responsibilities for adequate periphery development, rehabilitation of slums and provide preferential employment to local youths in the upcoming expansion projects.
BJD’s RN Pali MLA Subrat Tarai said he supported the expansion of RSP, but affected residents of his constituency expect the plant authorities to fulfil the social commitments. Accusing RSP of doing nothing on education, health and sanitation for slum dwellers on its land, Tarai demanded basic amenities like road, drain, sanitation and drinking water and visible periphery development.
Earlier on October 30 2015, BJD leaders of RN Pali Assembly constituency had disrupted another expansion-related public hearing of RSP over similar concerns. RSP plans to set up some new production units on its premises at a cost of around `5,000 crore to enhance production capacities of hot metal from 4.5 MTPA to 4.855 MTPA, crude steel from 4.2 MTPA to 4.85 MTPA and saleable steel from 3.880 MTPA to 4.325 MTPA.