Centre not against Orissa: Jairam

BHUBANESWAR: Under fire from the ruling BJD for allegedly putting spokes in Orissa's industrialization wheel, Union forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday asserted that neither he nor the Centre was against the state.
Ramesh, who is on a two-day visit to Orissa primarily to launch the World Bank-funded Rs 227-crore Integrated Costal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), dismissed BJD's charge that the Congress-led UPA government was pursuing an "anti-Orissa" agenda.
"I want to make it clear that the allegations against me and the Centre are false, fabricated and baseless," Ramesh said at a public function in Kendrapada district. "Those charging me of being anti-Orissa are wrong," he added, claiming the launch of ICZMP from Orissa demonstrated the Union government's concern for the state's development.
Ramesh's reaction coincided with the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), the young wing of BJD, flagging off a 10-day protest rally in front of Raj Bhavan here demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation following the parliament's public accounts committee indicting him in the 2G spectrum scam. Several ruling party leaders lambasted the UPA dispensation, accusing it of being corrupt and conspiracy against Orissa.
"Singh should immediately quit to allow an impartial probe," BYJD convenor and Brahmagiri MLA Sanjay Dasburma said. BYJD general secretaries Rabi Samal and Bijaya Nayak targetted Ramesh and alleged that he was the acting as the main obstacle in blocking big ticket investments in the state like Posco and Vedanta.
Since August, 2010, when Ramesh refused environmental clearance for mining of bauxite from Niyamgiri hills to feed Vedanta's alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, Kalahandi, the BJD has been holding Orissa Banchao rallies across the state alleging the Central government of neglecting the state and blocking industrial projects. It has been blaming Ramesh for the troubles encountered in pushing ahead with the mega Posco steel project and also accused him of adopting double standards by showing the red flag to projects in Orissa but giving the green signal to the Polavaram multi-purpose project in his home state of Andhra Pradesh.
Ramesh, on his part, put the onus on the state government to materialise the Posco project. "I have sought clarification from the state government on certain matters relating to the Posco project. The ball is not in my court but in the state government's court," he told journalists here.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said he would take up Posco and other issues of interest to the state during a meeting with Ramesh scheduled on Saturday evening. "The state government has been following up on the Posco project. What is appropriate and correct will be done," Naveen said, replying to queries relating to the country's biggest FDI project.
People opposing the proposed Rs 52,000-crore steel mill held a public protest at Balitutha in the project area demanding cancellation of environmental approval to Posco. Earlier, they had appealed Ramesh to pay a visit to the area, but the Union minister turned down the request, limiting his trip only to Bhitarkanika.
On Polavaram, Ramesh said stop work order was also issued for the project. "Same yardstick is used for Orissa and other states, same for the BJD and for the Congress," he maintained.