The Jagatsinghpur district administration in Odisha is resorting to persistent police brutality to stifle voices opposing a mega steel project coming up in the area, human rights groups said on Friday.
The allegations come close on the heels of JSW Utkal Steel Limited (JUSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Steel Limited, receiving the environmental clearance (EC) from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for setting up a greenfield integrated steel plant of 13.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of crude steel.
According to the company, capital expenditure on the steel plant project is expected to be ₹65,000 crore, including associated facilities. The phase-wise work for the project would start once the land was handed over to the company by the Government of Odisha, JUSL has said.
