In a significant decision, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday set aside the Environmental Clearance (EC) granted to the 4 MTPA Coal Mining Project of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and 4 MTPA Coal Washery at Gare in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh on grounds of faulty public hearing.

The company had been granted EC in May 2009. The NGT has directed that the public hearing may be conducted again but not under the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) who conducted it earlier. The verdict delivered by Justice C.V Ramulu and Prof R. Nagendran held that the entire “public hearing was a farce and makes a mockery of the public hearing process”.