CBI books Hindalco for corruption in green clearance for Talabira coal mining

The CBI has booked the countrys leading aluminium producer Hindalco of the Aditya Birla Group for alleged corruption in getting environmental clearances for coal mining between 2011 and 2013 officials said on TuesdayThe agency has also named T Chandini the then director of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for favouring the company as member secretary of the Expert Appraisal Committee EAC in allowing mining in the TalabiraI mine in the critically polluted area of Odishas Jharsuguda in violation of ministry guidelines they saidThe central probe agency registered an FIR against Hindalco and Chandini under Section 120B criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act after a nearly eightyearlong preliminary inquiryReacting to the FIR a Hindalco spokesperson said This is an old matter pertaining to 201415 These mines were deallocated as part of the governments deallocation process This is a matter of public record where more than 100 mines were deallocated The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI registered the preliminary inquiry in 2016 on allegations that the Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited ABMCPL had allegedly paid massive bribes between 2011 and 2013 to ministry officials for getting mandatory environmental clearance to mine coal from TalabiraThe findings of the inquiry showed that the ministry had made it mandatory in 2006 for a company to seek environment clearances for all new projects expansion of existing products and any change in the product mix in an existing manufacturing unitThe projects needing prior environmental clearance were supposed to go through the EAC consisting of experts from different disciplines The clearance was given by the regulatory authority based on the EACs recommendationHindalco received its first environmental clearance in 2001 for mining 04 million tonnes per annum MTPA of coal from the TalabiraI mine Another clearance was given in January 2009 for its expansion allowing the increase in mining from 04 MTPA to 15 MTPANearly a month after the second clearance the company sought to double its capacity to 3 MTPA which was to be considered by the EAC it saidIt emerged that the company had allegedly violated clearances given in 2001 and 2009 by producing more coal than permitted by the ministry the FIR saidThe company allegedly mined 304 MTPA excess coal from 200405 to 200708 and 200809 it saidThis fact became known during the process of consideration by the EAC of which T Chandini director was the member secretary the FIR allegedThe Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board confirmed during the inquiry that the Talabira mine was in the critically polluted area of Jharsuguda the CBI allegedAccording to ministry rules inpipeline projects in critically polluted areas or those applying after January 13 2010 were to be returned to the project proponent by member secretaries with the approval of the advisorThe inquiry showed that Chandini despite being fully aware that the company was mining excess coal in violation of previous environmental clearances did not return the project as stipulated in the ministry circularRather she acted to the contrary in as much as the proposal of HIL Hindalco was continued to be processed which amounted to misuse of her official position to favour HIL the CBI FIR has allegedChandini by misusing her official position communicated to Hindalco that their proposal for grant environmental clearance would be considered in the next meeting of the EAC to be held on February 25 and 25 2010 the agency allegedShe allegedly ensured that the clearance was granted in haste considering the fact that Hindalco was already in violation of earlier clearances granted by the ministry as it was already mining excess coal from the TalabiraI coal mine it saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever