CUTTACK While disposing of a PIL, the Orissa High Court has directed the collector of Sundargarh district to pass appropriate orders on representation of the petitioners seeking postponement of a coal mining project, within three months.
The petitioners had first filed a representation related to Bijahan Coal Mining Project to meet the coal requirement of the steel plants of Bhushan Power and Steel and Mahavir Ferro Alloys.
Bijahan coal block will have a production capacity of 5.26 MTPA, and will be used for captive power generation by the two steel plants in Rourkela. The mine lease area spans over 1,100 hectare, covering the villages of Girisima, Bhograkachhar, Bijahan and Jharpalam in Sundargarh district.
Sanatan Deheri, Bhismadeb Deheri, Niranjan Bhoi and Sanatan Kawar, all locals had filed the representation for postponement of the coal mining project in the villages. Later, they filed the PIL in HC seeking direction from the collector of Sundargarh to consider the representation within a stipulated time.
On January 22, when the state counsel had no objection to it, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman said, “As agreed by counsel for the parties and after going through the records, this Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, disposes of the Writ Petition directing Collector Sundargarh to consider the representation filed by the petitioners, and pass appropriate order in accordance with law within three months from the date of production of certified copy of this order”.