Centre pleads for lifting Lafarge ban

The Centre has made out a strong case for lifting the ban on mining operations of French cement company Lafarge in the Supreme Court. On Friday,the Centre told the court the company should be asked to meet additional conditions,including a deposit of Rs 55 crore,towards net present value (NPV) of the forest land for tribal welfare projects.

Attorney general GE Vahanvati told a special forest bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan that the expert committee constituted by the ministry of environment and forests,while giving clearance to the French company,had confirmed that most of the environmental conditions have been complied with by Lafarge. FE had broken the story on the diversion of triabl land by the company on March 17.

However,he said certain additional conditions have to be imposed on Lafarge. According to the attorney general,the environment ministry would give the revised environmental clearance that will permit the company to divert 116 hectares of forest land for its project,after taking into consideration all the conditions imposed.

Vahanvati proposed that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) headed by the chief secretary of Meghalaya should be set up to administer the fund that will benefit the local community,including the tribals who will have to be removed from the land. FE