Fresh petitions from villagers come in way of Posco clearance

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa government is struggling to assure the Union environment ministry in writing that diversion of forest land for the Posco steel project will not infringe on the Forest Rights Act.

Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh cleared the project on January 31 and the Naveen Patnaik government
in Orissa was to send the crucial assurance by the second week of February.

But a clutch of fresh petitions from villagers who will be displaced have come in the way. These villagers want settlement of their claims under the Forest Rights Act.