[Reader-list] Supreme Court slams Odisha for favouring Posco

[asit das]

Dear Friends,


 Yesterday i.e. on 6th November 2012,  the Supreme court  made a hearing on
the Odisha Government’s grant of a captive iron ore mine to POSCO.  Please
find herewith the note below. The bench has fixed Jan 17, 2013 as date for
next hearing.


 We don’t know what would be the final judgement of this case. However  this
hearing  has revealed that the basic deals of the Odisha government with
the minning companies including  POSCO are full of ambiguity and
favoritism.


 Please circulate this mail widely.



In Solidarity,

Prashant Paikary

Spokesperson, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti

Mobile no-09437571547

E-Mail - prashantpaikary at gmail.com

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* **SC slams Odisha for favouring Posco*


Supreme Court has slammed the Odisha government for favouring Posco over
others in granting prospective licence for Kandahar mines. Geomin, alleged
that Odisha overlooked other companies including Jindal steel and chose
Posco and challenged the stage govt decision in Orissa High Court, which in
2010 cancelled the prospective license (PL) for Posco and asked the state
to reconsider all applications all over again.


 Unhappy with the HC ruling that stopped short of granting the license to
it, Geomin moved the top court, which began hearing the appeal today.
Geomin claimed that it had applied for the license in 1991 whereas Posco
sought it only in 2005 Odisha told the court that Posco was the meritorious
among the applicants.


SC observed, "Is it the way of assessing comparative merit? These are great
natural resources. Their best use must be ensured. Merely because someone
is big, other players can’t be disallowed. That means no one else can play.
The big will become bigger and the bigger, (become) biggest. The ‘big’
factor has influenced the entire decision-making,”

SC also observed, "that case each has to be evaluated and examined on some
objective parameters.If the umpire becomes obsessed with the big players
how can a match be played evenly? He should not be obsessed by any big
personality.”



However the state defended its action of choosing Posco. SC adjourned the
case to 17 Jan

SC also observed, "that case each has to be evaluated and examined on







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