Rejecting the ruling BJD’s allegation of discrimination against Orissa, the Union Environment Minister , MrJairam Ramesh, has said the matter relating to Posco steel project is in the “State Government’s court’’.

“I have sought clarification from the State Government on certain matters relating to the Posco project. The ball is not in my court, but in the State Government’s court,” the Minister, who arrived here for a two-day visit to the state, told PTI.

Ruling out visiting the proposed Posco plant site where people opposing the project staged a dharna, demanding cancellation of environmental clearance to the mega steel project, Mr Jairam Ramesh said: “My tour is only for Bhitarkanika and review of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project.”

The villagers, who support the Posco project, had also invited him to visit the proposed plant site to assess the truth behind their rivals’ claim about the Rs 52,000-crore mega steel plant.

Dismissing allegations of discrimination made by the ruling BJD Government headed by Mr Naveen Patnaik, he said it was not true that his Ministry adopted different yardsticks for projects in Orissa and Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh.

“Polavaram project is also issued stop work order. Same yardstick is used for Orissa and other states, same for the BJD and for the Congress,” the Minister said.

Accusing Mr Jairam Ramesh of supporting the Polavaram project, the ruling BJD has been holding ‘Save Orissa Campaign’ for the last six months after the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) rejected a proposed bauxite mining project at Niyamgiri for Vedanta’s alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district of the state.

On the controversy over his meeting with the Chief Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh said he was scheduled to meet Mr Patnaik on Saturday evening after returning from Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district.

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