Even as a group of ministers is contemplating clubbing of all mining related-approvals in a single licence, the tribal affairs ministry is singing a different tune. The ministry wants companies to mandatorily seek NOCs from it before they start mining.
The NOC would be granted to miners after the ministry is satisfied that the mining project is not in violation of the Forest Rights Act.
Global mining big wigs like Posco and Vedanta have got their mining proposals stuck in Orissa at different levels of clearances. In a setback to South Korean giant Posco?s Rs 54,000-crore integrated steel plant in Orissa, a forestry panel has advised the Union environment ministry to reject the forest nod given to it.
If Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recommendations are accepted by environment minister Jairam Ramesh, the project at Jagatsinghpur, which is billed as the largest single dose of FDI in the country, will meet the similar fate as that of Vedanta?s bauxite mining proposal in Niyamgiri in Orissa.
Vedanta had to shelve its plans of mining bauxite after its initial clearance was withdrawn by the environment ministry citing violation of green norms.
At present, no construction work and land acquisition is being carried out by Orissa government for the Posco project as ordered by the environment ministry which acted on the recommendations by NC Saxena panel that accused it of forest rights violation.
Now, the Tribal Affairs ministry?s insistence for a mandatory NOC by mining companies goes against the mining ministry?s current thinking. While, the mining ministry has called for a composite clearance which would comprise all clearances from environment to forest, the tribal affairs ministry?s demand for a separate NOC implies another round of bureaucratic clearance.
Simultaneously, the tribal affairs ministry is also framing a Bill that would guarantee land ownership rights for tribals. It is likely to increase the liability of the acquirer to resettle and rehabilitate tribal families and impact mining, paper and metal-based industries. Land acquisition in tribal areas will be guided by the principle of land for land, market value of land, concept of net present value (NPV) of assets and social impact assessment. Besides, the land acquirer would have to ensure lifelong livelihood of the entire tribal community of the area in terms of providing jobs in industrial units or imparting training to them for their employability.
Land rights would mean that tribes would also be eligible for resettlement and rehabilitation grants.