• 657 hectares, Rawanwara project in Pench area of Western Coalfields in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh.

The CEC says that according to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, after the expiry of mining lease on October 2005, mining is still continuing. For this, two cases were booked on May 2006 against officials of the Western Coalfields. According to CEC, this offence has been “scored out in a casual manner and instead (it has been) mentioned that no violation of the Act has taken place.”

• 313 hectares, K P Canal for Telguganga project

The Ministry’s regional office, in its site inspection report, said that the alignment of canal needs to be reviewed, preferably shifting the canal towards the periphery of the forest to minimise fragmentation of forest land. The FAC in its meeting in May 2007 decided that the state government be asked to re-examine the alignment of the canal. Without making any reference to the state government, the proposal was again discussed by the FAC in its next meeting in May 2007 and recommended for approval. No cognizance was taken of the decision earlier, says the CEC.

• 111 hectares, prospecting of iron ore in Bonai forest division, Orissa: Jindal Steel and Power.

The total mining lease that the company had was for 207 hectares. The company was given clearance for 90 hectares of forest land in 2006. Of the balance area, the company asked for 111 hectares to be retained for future use. No approval under the Forest Conservation Act was given for this. The company then submitted a prospecting plan which was approved by the FAC.

... contd.