Cuttack, March 22: Constructions on allegedly encroached forestland by Ind Barath Energy Utkal Limited at its Rs 3,150-crore coal-based thermal power project site at Sahajbahal in Jharsuguda district has come under Orissa Hight Court’s scrutiny.

The state forest department had recently taken note of the alleged encroachments and sought the Union ministry of environment and forests’ intervention with regard to environmental clearance granted to the project.

The project involves setting up of two 350MW units of pulverised coal-fired type boilers. The Centre granted environmental clearance for the project on November 30, 2009.

The dispute centres on the contention that the company had taken up construction on forestland without obtaining clearance from the Centre. A PIL was filed in the high court, seeking quashing of the environmental clearance granted to the company, stopping of construction activities on forestland, eviction and restoration of the encroached patches. Anchalik Janakalyan Anusthan, a Jharsuguda-based registered society, filed the PIL through its secretary Goutam Behera and member Ashok Pradhan.

“The division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Goel and Justice A.K. Rath on Thursday adjourned the matter for hearing after four weeks along with responses from the divisional forest officer of Jharsuguda, Jharsuguda collector and the company vice-president,” petitioner counsel Gokulananda Pattnaik said today.

The petition stated the company had “encroached on forestland within the Debrigarh sanctuary limit without obtaining no objection certificate from the authority”.

The Centre had issued a guideline on December 2, 2009, indicating that environmental clearances for all such projects that fall within 10km boundary of national parks and sanctuaries would be subject to recommendation of standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife.