Will Gujarat penalise AM/NS India for land, CRZ, and environmental violations: Darshan Naik, GPCC gen secy

Surat : Darshan Naik, general secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), has urged Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to take tough action against Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) for alleged serious violations of the environment, forest land, CRZ, encroachment on revenue land, and other issues.

In a lengthy letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Naik enumerated nine representations he had filed against AM/NS India with various government offices and ministries from July 14, 2022.

According to Naik, AM/NS India (previously known as Essar), which owns the massive steel plant in Hazira, Surat, has long violated environmental rules, CRZ laws, and encroachments on revenue and forest areas through illegal building. Despite raising the issues with the government department with facts and evidence, the State Government has failed to take serious action against the corporation.

According to Naik, the Gujarat government informed the Gujarat Assembly that AM/NS India had gradually encroached on government and forest territory since 2006-07. Despite this, the State Government has not taken any action against the corporation for engaging in illegal operations.

“In Gujarat, the government of Bhupendra Patel is known as the’samvedansheel’ government (sensitive government). However, they (the government) are not sensitive when it comes to taking action against business houses that are destroying the environment and encroaching on government and forest properties in Gujarat. “Will Gujarat’s Patel government take action against AM/NS India?” Naik wondered.

“I have submitted about nine representations to the State Government against AM/NS India,” Naik remarked. It remains to be seen whether the government will intervene or safeguard the firm.”