Latest news with #IDCO
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
NGT lens on illegal transfer of forest land for industry
CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT)'s east zone bench in Kolkata has admitted a petition filed by three residents of Sundargarh district alleging illegal transfer of 6.36 acres of forest land to private companies for industrial purposes. The petitioners -Pradeep Kumar Das, Ramakanta Biswal and Patel Lakra - have claimed that forest land in Kalokudar, classified as Gramya Jungle (revenue forest), was transferred to private entities in violation of the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 2023 and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The petitioners alleged that Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) had provisionally allotted the forest land to two private companies for setting up steel, iron and ferro alloys units without securing the mandatory clearance from the central government under Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act. Representing the petitioners, advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy appeared virtually before the bench comprising Judicial Member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Expert Member Dr Arun Kumar Verma. Taking note of the allegations, the bench issued notices to the state government, IDCO, the Union of India, and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. 'All the respondents shall file their counter-affidavits within four weeks. List on August 21, 2025,' the bench directed. According to the petition, the land in question is part of a dense forest in a Scheduled V Area, which enjoys special constitutional protections due to its predominantly tribal population. It was further claimed construction activities by the companies pose a serious environmental threat, with hundreds of trees at risk of being felled.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
NGT notice over ‘illegal' Sundargarh forest land transfer
1 2 Cuttack: National Green Tribunal (NGT), East Zone Bench in Kolkata, on Wednesday issued notices to the state govt, the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC), and the Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) over the alleged illegal transfer of 6.36 acres of forest land to private companies in Sundargarh district. The order came after a petition was filed by three local residents — Pradeep Kumar Das, Ramakanta Biswal, and Patel Lakra — who claimed that IDCO provisionally allotted 'gramya jungle' (village forest land) in Kalokudar to two private companies for establishing steel, iron, and ferro-alloys units. The land falls under a Schedule V area and reportedly has dense forest cover. Scheduled areas have special provisions for the administration and protection of tribal communities. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy represented the petitioners. The bench, comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member), observed that the matter "requires consideration" and directed all respondents to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug 21, 2025. The petitioners alleged that the transfer and construction activity were carried out without the mandatory prior approval of the central govt under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and also violated the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 2023. The petition also mentioned a letter dated Feb 24 written by one of the petitioners to the divisional forest officer (DFO), Rourkela, seeking cancellation of the land allotment. Acting on it, the DFO-cum-wildlife warden issued a direction on Mar 6 asking the companies to stop all construction activities. However, the petitioners claim that work continued in violation of forest laws. Among the state authorities issued notices to file replies within four weeks are the additional chief secretary, forest and environment department, managing director of IDCO, Sundargarh collector, Lathikata tehsildar and divisional forest officer-cum-wildlife warden (Rourkela forest division). The tribunal also issued notices to the two private companies.
Hans India
30-06-2025
- Hans India
3 killed, 50 hurt in Puri Rath Yatra stampede
Puri: Atleast three persons, including two women, were killed and around 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri on Sunday during a ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, officials said. The incident took place around 4.20 am when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple, they said. The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people is stated to be critical. The Gundicha Temple, located around 3km from the 12th century shrine, is the aunt's house of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Subhadra and Balabhadra. During Rath Yatra, the deities visit their aunt's home, stay there for seven days, and then return to their main abode — the Jagannath Temple. According to police, chaos ensued after two trucks carrying materials for rituals reportedly entered the crowded spot near the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities. The deities were seated on the chariots when the stampede took place. "Thousands of devotees had assembled outside the temple since the early hours to catch a glimpse of the deities when the 'Pahuda' (cloth) covering the front portion of the chariots was to be removed, as part of the rituals, the officials said. The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty (80) and Pravati Das (42) from Balipatna. Their bodies have been handed over to family members, and the cremation will take place at 'Swargadwar' in Puri. In a punitive measure following the stampede, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi ordered the transfer of District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vineet Agrawal. Majhi also announced the suspension of two police officers – DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi – an official release said. He ordered an administrative inquiry into the matter to be carried out under the supervision of the development commissioner. In another order, senior bureaucrat Saswata Mishra was appointed principal secretary to the CM in addition to his current responsibilities. The 1996-batch IAS officer is presently posted as principal secretary in finance department with additional charge of chairman, IDCO. The Odisha government will provide financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, the release added. Another notification issued by the General Administration Department stated that senior bureaucrat Aravind Agarwal has been appointed as in-charge of the overall supervision of Rath Yatra. Earlier in a post on X, Majhi sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Jagannath for the stampede and tendered an apology on behalf of his government for the incident.
New Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Majhi directs Industries department to ready DPR for Kalinga Studio revamp
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday directed the Industries department to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for development of Kalinga Studio into a self-sustained modern studio. During a visit to the studio, the chief minister asked the department to prioritise its development as per the decision taken earlier. It was decided to focus on development of a tech building with state-of-the-art facilities for film production, indoor shooting facility equipped with modern technology, avenue land for outdoor shoots, snow world (an artificial snow-covered area for film sequences), village area (a replica of a traditional village setting for film shooting), green area with landscaped gardens and green spaces and water body, in the first phase. After taking over the charge of the BJP government, the chief minister has been prioritising the modernisation of Kalinga Studio. The other features to be added in the studio include entrance plaza, community hall, iconic landmark and a bamboo structure. He instructed the department to complete the remaining work as soon as possible. The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) is executing the development work, with a budget of Rs 200 crore approved for the project. The development of the studio is being carried out in consultation with stakeholders from the film industry to ensure that the studio meets their needs and expectations. Majhi, accompanied by Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, inspected the studio on the day. Additional chief secretary of the Industries department, Hemant Sharma briefed the chief minister about the project's progress. Managing director of Odisha Film Development Corporation Samarth Verma and IDCO managing director Bhupinder Singh Punia were also present.
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
IDCO to acquire land in Odisha's key districts for smooth grounding of projects
BHUBANESWAR : As part of its renewed industrial thrust under the Utkarsh Odisha initiative, the state government is gearing up to create a robust land bank to facilitate the smooth grounding of projects worth over Rs 5 lakh crore over the next five years. The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has been directed to adopt a mission-mode approach for land acquisition across key districts for attracting large-scale projects and sustaining industrial momentum. So far, IDCO has identified new parcels of land at different strategic locations like Dhamara region in Bhadrak and Balasore district, Paradip region in Jagatsinghpur district, Bhubaneswar region in Khurda district, Kalinga Nagar region in Jajpur district and Banspal-Patna-Barbil region in Keonjhar district. Land parcels have also been identified for steel and jetty complexes in Kendrapara, metal and downstream industries in Angul, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda, agro processing and tourism industries along with development of new industrial estate in all districts. Collectors have been instructed to prioritise regions which have witnessed growing investors' interest during the recent business summits. IDCO will work closely with district-level officials to identify parcels of land and ensure clear title, timely mutation, and digitisation of land records.
