NAGPUR, Oct 5: The ensuing controversy over the proposed power project near Bhadravati Ordnance Factory has taken a turn with the Ministry of Coal denying having ever leased any land for mining to the Central India Coal Company Limited. The latter is a subsidiary of the Ispat Group owned by the Mittals.

The denial raises questions about the Ispat Group's ``agreement with the State Government'' on May 7 this year, over the acquisition of over 4,000-acre land bordering the Bhadravati Ordnance Factory for its power project.The issue was even raised by the CPI (MP) Rajya Sabha member, Deepankar Mukherjee, and two others in the recently concluded parliament session.

The Union Minister of State for Coal, Kanti Singh, said that such lease was not granted to the multi-national company so far. Also, the Minister of State for Defence, N V N Somu, told the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member, Purohit, that the Union Government had not allotted any land in Chandrapur to any private company for mining of coal.

The Ordnance factory Board has represented against any mining operations adjacent to its Chandrapur unit to the State Government, the minister further revealed. The Baranj Coal Block, identified by the Ispat Group, is within a radius of 10 kms of the Central Government ammunition unit in Chandrapur. In April, 1997, the Ministry of Defence advised that the Centre for Environment and Explosive Safety had expressed their objection to mining in the site in July 1996.

Purohit had raised the issue and even filed a public interest litigation before the Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court despite an opposition from a section of his party colleagues, including powerful, Pramod Mahajan. Purohit blamed Mahajan and the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Gopinath Munde, who also holds the Energy portfolio, for favouring Nippon.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.