Ranchi, Dec. 21: The Jharkhand Assembly today formed a three-member committee of legislators to probe into charges against Tata Steel of dumping slag and fly ash on the banks of the Subernarekha.

Assembly Speaker C.P. Singh has also asked the state government to submit a fact-finding report on whether the steel major was flouting environmental norms within two days so that the issue could be picked up before the conclusion of the ongoing winter session.

The Assembly ruling followed a question raised by JVM legislator from Ichagarh Arvind Kumar Singh, alias Malkhan Singh, who alleged that Tata Steel was dumping the solid wastes beside the Subernarekha polluting its water in the downstream.

Though human resource development minister Baidyanath Ram gave a written reply citing that according to information provided by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) Tata Steel was not disposing of slag next to the river, members of both the Opposition and treasury benches were unimpressed.

They insisted that the steel giant had violated environmental rules.

“Tata Steel and Tata Power have been dumping slag and fly ash beside the Subernarekha. It came to the fore during my last visit as part of a Vidhan Sabha committee on environment,” said Majhgaon MLA Barkunwar Gagrai.

Similar allegations were made by BJP legislator from Jamshedpur East Raghubar Das — a member of the treasury bench — and the Ichagarh MLA prompting the speaker to issue the probe order.

The special committee will comprise Das, Gagrai and Singh while a JSPCB team has been asked to submit the fact-finding report.

MLA Singh also wanted to know what measures the government had taken to ensure schools and colleges situated beside Bari Maidan did not face the possibility of relocation in the wake of an expansion drive by the company to increase production of steel.

The Union environment and forest ministry has given a conditional environmental clearance for Tata Steel’s expansion project aiming to raise its output from the existing 6.8 million tonne per annum to 9.7 million tonne.