Despite reply to show cause notice, ban imposed before personal hearing : IMFA

Cuttack: With hundreds of workers continuing their stir in front of the plant of India Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) at Choudwar in Cuttack protesting the order of the Odisha Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to ban mining at the Mahagiri and Sukinda Chromite, the company authorities today clarified that they had responded to the notice of OSPCB within the stipulated time period.

The response came in the wake of the Special Secretary, Forest and Environment Department, Debidutta Biswal's statement yesterday that the step was taken as IMFA did not respond to the show cause notice issued to it within the stipulated time period.

“We have responded to the show cause notice and we had given the clarification accordingly. As per the guidelines, we
should have been allowed to take part in a personal hearing and we got the chance a month after. Even before the personal hearing, a ban order was clamped on our mines. Now, the matter is sub-judice in the High Court. We cannot comment more on it”, IMFA Vice president (Corporate Affairs) Ashok Behera said.

On the other hand, the workers on strike sought CM’s intervention into the matter. They sent a letter to chief minister Naveen Patnaik apprising him about their plight.