CUTTACK: After issuing a stay order and then modifying it to allow a public hearing on expansion of the Vedanta Limited’s aluminum smelter plant at Jharsuguda, the Orissa High Court has left another public hearing on the same issue to the decision of the Collector.
The Court was hearing on Friday through virtual mode a petition filed by Subrat Bhoi and Tejraj Kumura, both residents of one of the villages likely to be affected in the event of proposed expansion is granted.
Advocate Prafulla Kumar Rath arguing on behalf of the petitioners submitted that only 90 persons had participated in the public hearing held on September 30.
With it, there was no effective public hearing at all as the participating number of people cannot be said to be a substantial representation of villagers of five revenue villages having population of more than 10,000, Rath argued.
Taking note of it, the single judge bench of Justice KR Mohapatra disposed of the petition stating that, “There is no material available before this Court to test the veracity of the same. If that be so, then petitioners may make a representation to the Collector, Jharsuguda within a period of three days by October 12, who shall consider the same and pass necessary orders thereon in consultation with the stakeholders, if necessary, by taking steps to hold another public hearing.”
The petitioners had filed through their counsel Partha Sarathi Nayak a petition seeking the Court’s intervention for keeping the public hearing in abeyance till Covid-19 situations are normalised.
On September 29, Justice Mohapatra had first issued an interim stay order on the public hearing which was scheduled to be held on September 30 in pursuant to advertisement issued by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board on August 27.
But then on September 30, he partially modified the order and directed that “the public hearing may continue, but no final decision shall be taken till the next date”.
Vedanta is going to expand its annual production capacity from 16 lakh tonne to 18 lakh tonne and captive power plant capacity to 1,215 MW. For this purpose, land will be acquired in Brundamal, Katikela, Purna and Kurebaga villages.