New Delhi : CBI is likely to question former UPA minister Jayanthi Natarajan for alleged diversion of forest land to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and JSW Steel for their plants in violation of norms. The agency may also convert into FIRs the preliminary enquiries against the two mentioned firms.According to CBI sources it may also include in the FIRs several senior environment ministry officials who were part of the clearance process. They said the agency may also call Natarajan for questioning after registering the FIRs in these cases.
The sources said there were alleged irregularities in the allocation process as the environment ministry changed its position a number of times before the land was cleared in 2013. The inquiry has been initiated against unknown officials of JSPL and environment ministry for alleged irregularities in the diversion of Saranda forest land in Jharkhand between 2007-13, they said.
Records with the state government and the Centre are being examined by CBI, the sources said.
They said that 512.43 hectares of ecologically-sensitive Saranda forest land in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand were diverted for the Ghatkuri Iron Ore mining lease project in favour of JSPL. The diversion of the land was questioned by several environment activists as well as the MB Shah Commission.
The sources said that diversion of the land is in alleged violation of the laid-down norms. The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), which comes under environment ministry, allegedly ignored the fact that there was no wildlife management plan for the forest.
The lack of a wildlife management plan was the reason why FAC had earlier deferred the decision but, during the tenure of Natarajan, the diversion was allegedly given a go-ahead despite there being no change in the ground situation, the sources said. Forest officers in their reports had told the Government that the proposed mining lease area has been notified as the core area of the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve.
