New Delhi, Aug. 25 (PTI): Clearance for Posco’s integrated steel plant in Odisha has been held up. The South Korean company is yet to provide certain information regarding its captive minor port project in the state, the Union environment and forests ministry has told the National Green Tribunal.

The contention was, however, opposed by Posco India, which told the bench headed by tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, that environment clearances for both projects had been granted separately in the past and claimed it had provided all information, except mapping data.

Posco claimed that the expert appraisal committee in its meeting held in May had recommended revalidation, till 2017, of the environmental clearances for its four million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel plant, but the clearance had been held up by the ministry without any reason.

According to the environment ministry, both projects are linked and before granting clearance to the steel plant it needs to take a collective and holistic view, which has not been possible as the information regarding the captive minor port has not been provided till date. It also said that because of this reason the environment clearance has not been put up before the expert appraisal committee and so clearances for both projects were held up and Posco was responsible for the delay.

After hearing both sides, the green tribunal has now fixed August 29 to hear arguments by senior advocate Raj Panjwani on behalf of petitioner Prafulla Samantra, regarding the forest clearance granted to Posco’s project.

The tribunal, meanwhile, has directed Posco to furnish all information sought by environment ministry at the earliest and asked the ministry to proceed with the matter expeditiously once it receives the documents.