Joda/Keonjhar: In a jolt to Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), the working permission for its Iron & Manganese mines at Roida in Keonjhar was revoked for allegedly violating forest norms. “Due to continued non-compliance and violation of the Forest Conservation Adhiniyam, and the Odisha Forest Act, the working permission granted to JSPL Roida within the mining lease area has been revoked,” Keonjhar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) HD Dhanraj said.
As per reports, JSPL had secured the mining lease for the Roida-I iron ore block in July 2025 through a competitive bidding process. The mining lease was previously held by Mideast Integrated Steel Ltd (MISL), Barbil.
As per standard procedure, all rights, approvals, and statutory clearances held by the previous lessee were legally vested to JSPL for continuation of operations within the Roida-I lease area. Accordingly, working permission was granted to JSPL Roida, which was limited strictly to the boundaries of the mining lease. However, Forest Department later found that JSPL has been using a forest road that passes through Sidhamath Reserved Forest (RF) for the transportation of minerals.
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This road had earlier been used by the former lessee (MISL) without obtaining forest diversion clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act. Notably, although a diversion proposal was submitted previously, compliance with conditions was allegedly not fulfilled, and forest clearance was never granted.
However, despite refusal, JSPL Roida allegedly continued using the same road for mineral transport without obtaining prior approval for forest land diversion. It is pertinent to mention here that despite having initiated the diversion process recently, the use of the road without requisite permission amounts to a clear violation of the Forest Conservation Act and the Odisha Forest Act. In response, a show-cause notice was served to JSPL Roida and a physical inspection was conducted by Range officer Barbil and DFO, Keonjhar.
However, that didn’t deter the lessee to continue to use the road for mineral transportation, including during night hours, in violation of applicable laws. In an office order dated October 19, the DFO stated, “It is ascertained that JSPL Roida has been using the forest land in Siddhamath Reserve Forest for transportation of minerals obtained from these mines without obtaining the prior approval of the MoEF & CC, Govt of India under the provision of Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 1980, and in violation of Odisha Forest Act, 1972.”
Consequently, it led to registration of a Forest Case No. 5BL of 2025–26 against one Pramod Patra, authorised signatory for JSPL Roida, and two vehicles were seized inside Sidhamath reserve forest for the violation of same law.
Officials said the company has also failed to obtain forest land diversion approval for its Deojhar pellet plant despite multiple reminders from the department since 2015. “The Keonjhar Forest Division has submitted a comprehensive report on the violations to the integrated regional office, the Director of Mines, and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for further action,” DFO Dhanraj said.
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