The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to reply to a petition by the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) challenging the withdrawal of environment clearance for a Sterlite mining project in the Sate.
The apex court issued notice to the Ministry asking it to file its reply within a week.
In its plea, the OMC said the MoEF did not give the mandatory notice to the parties while taking a decision to withdraw the environmental clearance for the bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri.
OMC claimed that the then Environment Minister (Mr Jairam Ramesh), despite knowing that the matter is pending before the apex court, withdrew the environment clearance prior to demitting his office.