Chakkittapara: In-principle nod for MSPL revoked

03 October 2016

The fate of the Karnataka-based MSPL Limited, which has sought clearance for iron ore mining in Alampara village in Kozhikode district, has almost been sealed, with the State government rejecting the in-principle nod given to the company.

The Hospet-based MSPL Limited, the flagship company of Baldot Group, had applied for iron ore mining in 406.45 hectares in the ecologically sensitive region of the Western ghats.

Based on the reports submitted by the District Collector and the Department of Forest and Wildlife, the previous UDF government had withdrawn the in-principle approval for conducting mining in the region.

The reports had said that mining activities in the Alampara region, which has been demarcated as ecologically sensitive in the K. Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats, would impact ecology and human settlements.

For the record, a Central government had issued an order banning mining in the said region. However, it is learnt that MSPL had planned to move the Central Mining Tribunal challenging the government order.

The company had proposed to set up a 5 MTPA (million tons per annum) iron ore mine and a 1.8 MTPA beneficiating plant. Thus, it was granted approval for mining iron ore at Chakkittapara, Mavoor, and Kakkur in Kozhikode district in 2010 for a period of 30 years.

Incidentally, the High Court of Kerala in February 2016 revoked the government order withdrawing the in-principle approval, saying that MSPL had not been given enough opportunity to counter the District Collector’s report. Subsequently, the government held a hearing with MSPL representatives in July.

MSPL officials argued that according to the amended MMDR Act, the company had to fulfil the conditions of prior approval only by 10/01/2017.

But the government declined to give further extension to the in-principle approval, as “the company representatives have not furnished details that warrant a re-examination of the March 19, 2015 decision,” Principal Secretary P.H. Kurian said in the order. Moreover, the company did not receive the required environmental clearance, and it failed to conduct a survey in the area within the stipulated time, the order said.

Source – The Hindu