Date | May 10, 2017:

A month after its mines were idled, India Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) has moved court alleging that the Odisha's State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) decision to revoke permission was “arbitrary, discriminatory, malafide and vindictive”.

One of the country’s leading ferroalloys producers, - IMFA – a firm headed by Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayanat Panda’s brother, Subhrakant Panda, had run into a similar situation with the SPCB resulting in its Sukinda chrome mines being shut for a few months in 2015. Subhrakant Panda, Managing Director and CEO, had not responded to messages at the time of going to press on Tuesday.

Debidutta Biswal, member secretary, SPCB could not be reached for a comment. His office however confirmed IMFA had been called for a personal hearing on May 15.

The state pollution control board had, after a sudden inspection of the company’s Sukinda and Mahagiri chromite mines, sent the firm a show-cause notice dated 24 Mar, 2017 citing “pot holes and ruts on the mine roads, higher than prescribed ambient air quality level, lack of a wheel washing facility,” amongst issues. IMFA’s consent to operate, currently revoked, is valid till March 31, 2021.After IMFA contested some of these charges, it had sent a second letter on 7 April, 2017 reiterating its allegations.

In its plea before the High Court of Orissa, the country’s leading ferro chrome producer has argued that revoking the consent to operate in a hurry for innocuous charges, when pollution control laws provide for reasonable opportunity of hearing was unjustified.“The allegation of malafide is not merely an insinuation, surmise, conjecture or vague suggestion, the overwhelming circumstances makes it apparent that the action of the authority is marred by malafide and is clearly for extraneous reasons (sic),” says the company's petition to the high court.

Seeking this revocation to be set aside, IMFA has also asked to be allowed to transport the 62,107tonnes of mined chrome ore lying at the mines which it is being refused transport permits for. The idling of mines of a combined 0.8mt capacity, could soon affect operations of its plants at Choudwar, in Cuttack Therubali, Rayagada.

Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda, a vice chairman of the company, has of late been a very vocal critic of his party. The MP, couldn't be reached for a comments.

(Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/)