Angul/Bhubaneswar, April 24: Dhenkanal collector Rupa Roshan Sahu today filed two criminal cases against Bhushan steel director Neeraj Sighal for violating environmental and other laws.

Assistant public prosecutor Sura Narayan Tripathy said: “The court of the sub-divisional judicial magistrate issued summons to the director to appear on May 14.”

Tripathy said the cases were filed against Singhal for violation of laws related to the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, while going for the expansion of steel and power projects at Meramandali, where it has a steel and power plant.

A district administration official said that without having permission from the ministry of environment and forests, the company went ahead with the construction and operation of plants on forestland. A show cause notice was also issued to the company. The company had also submitted its reply. “The cases were lodged against the company director as the reply was unsatisfactory,” Sahu said.

Bhushan steel vice-president Sanjeeb Kapoor said: “We are a law abiding company. We will comply with the law.”

In another development, Bhushan steel has received the nod of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board to start blast furnace-II at its Meremandali plant. The furnace was closed following an accident last year in which two persons were killed. “The consent has been accorded to the steel plant to operate its blast furnace after it met the pollution control norms,” said a senior board official.

The director of factories and boilers has also accorded its permission to start the blast furnace. Bhushan steel has also mentioned in its Bombay Stock Exchange listing that it has received all the necessary consents and approvals from the board for starting and operating the furnace.