Keonjhar: Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) said it continues to operate within India’s legal framework following the Forest department’s decision to revoke its working permission for the Roida-I iron ore and manganese mines in Keonjhar district. In a statement issued Thursday, the company said it had secured the mining lease for the Roida-I Iron Ore Block in July 2025 through a government-conducted online auction process.
Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Rules, JSPL said, all rights, approvals, and statutory clearances held by the previous lessee, Mideast Integrated Steel Ltd. (MISL), were legally transferred to it, enabling a seamless continuation of mining operations. The company said the Forest Department had issued working permission allowing it to transport minerals, similar to the earlier lessee, as part of the compliance process. Based on that authorisation, JSPL said it has been operating the mine for the past two months using the same route previously used by MISL for mineral transportation. JSPL added that it has already initiated the forest diversion process for the said road as advised by the local forest authority, which is under process, and has begun the transfer of forest land from the previous lessee, which includes compensatory afforestation obligations. “The recent revocation of the working permission by the district forest authority is sudden and unexpected,” the company said. “Jindal Steel is in active discussions with the local Forest Department and district administration to resolve the matter. As a responsible corporate citizen, the company will always continue to operate within the legal framework.” The company’s statement came a day after reports surfaced that the Keonjhar Forest Division had revoked JSPL’s working permission for alleged violations of forest laws.
According to Keonjhar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dhanraj HD, the permission was withdrawn due to “continued non-compliance and violation of the Forest Conservation Act and the Odisha Forest Act.” Officials alleged that JSPL had been using a forest road passing through the Sidhamath Reserve Forest to transport minerals without prior approval for forest land diversion. Forest officials said the same route had been used earlier by MISL without obtaining forest clearance. Although a diversion proposal had been submitted, the necessary compliance was reportedly not completed, and clearance was never granted. Despite this, the department said JSPL continued to use the route for mineral transport, prompting a show-cause notice and a field inspection. An office order dated October 19 stated that JSPL had used forest land “without obtaining prior approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)” under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and in violation of the Odisha Forest Act, 1972. A forest case was subsequently registered against an authorised company representative, and two vehicles were seized inside the Sidhamath Reserve Forest.
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Officials also said JSPL has yet to secure forest land diversion approval for its Deojhar pellet plant, pending since 2015. The Keonjhar Forest Division has reportedly submitted a detailed report on the violations to the Integrated Regional Office, the Director of Mines, and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for further action.
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