Industrialist Mr Naveen Jindal, whose integrated steel plant in Orissa has hit a hurdle with India’s Environment Ministry, says his company has done “no wrong” and the state government is “welcome” to take action against it if it finds any wrongdoing.

“We have done no wrong. The Orissa government will see, if we have done anything wrong, then they’ll take action (sic),” Mr Jindal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), told PTI.

Mr Jindal, who is presently in the US, pursuing a 10-day course at the Harvard Kennedy School on public policy and leadership as part of the ‘Young Global Leaders’ programme, said the Environment Ministry “can ask” the state government to take action but added that there was “nothing wrong” with the project.

“If we had done wrong, why did the Environment Ministry clear it. There is nothing wrong. The state government will see, if they find something wrong they are welcome to take any action,” he said.

JSPL’s 6 MTPA steel plant and 1,000 MW captive power plant at Angul in Orissa are facing trouble, with Environment Ministry last week asking the state to initiate action against the company for starting construction in the non-forest area, without first obtaining clearance for the forest section.

“It is noted that JSPL started construction activity on the non-forest land without obtaining prior forestry clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which is not in consonance with the environmental clearance accorded to the project,” the directive to Orissa government had said.

In February, the Environment Ministry had cleared Congress MP Naveen Jindal’s Angul steel plant with certain conditions.

It was cleared by the Ministry after accepting the company’s explanation in response to its showcause notice issued on November 22, 2010.

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