By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday issued notices to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), the Orissa government and Sterlite Industries on a petition challenging the central government’s decision to cancel the environmental clearance to Niyamgiri Bauxite Mining Project in the state.
All the three were given four weeks to file their replies.
The apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik issued the notices after senior counsel K.K. Venugopal assailed the cancellation order issued by the MoEF.
The petition was filed by Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) against the MoEF’s decision to deny forest clearance for the project.
Sterlite Industries is an Indian arm of Britain-based Vedanta Group. The MoEF had by its Aug 24, 2010 order cancelled the environmental clearance given to the $1.7 billion bauxite mining project.