Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) executives have been asked to appear before an environmental ministry panel to address the fact that it proceeded with a steel plant expansion without proper approvals.
RINL is a state-controlled entity which is controlled by the Steel Ministry. RINL started in 1992 with a capacity of 3 million mt annually in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh. It presently has a capacity of 4 million mt and requested permission from the ministry to expand the plan to 6.3 million mt in 2018. It has plans to eventually reach a capacity of 7.3 million mt.
According to the Environmental Ministry, RINL has carried out 90 percent of the expansion illegally without proper environmental clearances. Arun Kumar Mehta, an executive of the ministry, said RINL should “initiate necessary exemplary disciplinary action against officials responsible for the violation.”