The NGT has asked district Collector, Dhenkanal to take action against the Parjang Tehsildar for connivance and gross dereliction of duty in taking appropriate action against a sponge iron unit for encroachment of forest and Government land and pollution.
The NGT Kolkata hearing a case on the allegation of pollution caused by the GM Iron and Steel, operating at Kulei in Parjang Tehsil, Dhenkanal gave the order.
Social activist of Talcher Santanu Kumar Bhukta had approached the NGT in May against the unit. On May 10, the NGT constituted a five-member committee to inspect the plant and file their report.
After getting the report and fresh affidavit with photographs of pollution filed by advocate Sankar Prasad Pani, the NGT directed the committee to “re-inspect the site of the GM Iron and Steel.
The NGT further observed that the committee report also shows that about eight acres of revenue forest land has been encroached unauthorizedly by the industry for which eviction proceedings have been initiated and a penalty of Rs 3,31,452 has been recovered. In addition, the NGT found that 2.54 acre of nonforest Government land has also been encroached by the industry.
The court expressed surprise that the Tehsildar concerned has not taken any action in this regard or reported the matter at the relevant point of time to the District Magistrate concerned and the encroachment proceedings have been instituted as late as 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, which only shows connivance or gross dereliction of duty of the Tehsildar with the offender industry.
The NGT directed the State Government to file its affidavit, showing whether the encroachments have been removed and what disciplinary action has been taken against the person who was the Tehsildar at the relevant point of time.
Besides, it directed the district Collector, Dhenkanal, to file his personal affidavit explaining as to why appropriate action was not taken against the industry at the relevant point of time and why the industry was allowed to encroach upon eight acre of revenue forest land including 2.54 acre of non-forest Government land.
The court further observed that the industry was also issued a closure notice on 29.10.2021 by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board but even after one year the pollution level, as evident from the photographs, does not justify it being subsequently allowed to operate with full capacity vide order dated 28.01.2022 only on the basis of a Bank Guarantee of Rs 11.85 lakh. The court fixed September 29 for next hearing.