Odishatv Bureau
Bhubaneswar: With the death of one labourer at the on-going project of Essar Steel at Dubuna in Keonjhar district, an administrative inquiry has been inititaed against the steel major for violating government directives. Both the district administration and the forest department have alleged that the company has been carrying on the project work despite government order and the accident was a result of the violation of the orders.

The district magistrate and collector of Keonjhar, to be precise on August 4 through a lettter to the project director had pointed out that Essar was violating forest rules. The company has been laying pipelines from Dubuna to Paradip violating all the forest and environment relatd rules. Te collector had asked the company to stop work. Before the district collector, the district forest officer, Keonjhar, written two separate letters to the ADM on May 23 and July 4 and ordered to stop work.

The Essar steel has sought approval for diversion forest land for construction of its industrial complex and laying up of the pipeline from Dubuna to Paradip. The Essar application is under consideration and pending approval. Throwing all the rules and regulations and even no-work orders of the authoroties, the company has started work in some non-forest areas. The DFO has barred the company from pursuing with the work though. The DFO even has lodged a complaint against the company for using forest land for dumping its raw materials. But the accident resulting in the death of the labourer has landed the Essar steel in a soup.            

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