g g n ita e l d y b S y i : g B n H ed

ABAGRAHI JHANKAR Reason: Authentication

Location: ORISSA HIGH COURT, CUTTACK

Date: 03-Dec-2025 17:58:11

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK

W.P.(C) No. 29897 of 2025

(In the matter of a petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the

Constitution of India, 1950).

Jindal Steel Limited, New Delhi …. Petitioner (s)

-versus-

State of Odisha & Ors. …. Opp. Party(s)

Advocates appeared in the case through Hybrid Mode:

For Petitioner (s) : Mr.Gopal Jain, Sr. Adv.

Along with

Mr. S.S. Mohanty, Adv.

For Opposite Party (s) : Mr. Debasish Nayak, AGA

Mr. Lalitendu Mishra, Adv.

(for intervenor)

CORAM:

DR. JUSTICE SANJEEB K PANIGRAHI

DATE OF HEARING:-10.11.2025

DATE OF JUDGMENT:-29.11.2025

Dr. Sanjeeb K Panigrahi, J.

1. In the present Writ Petition, the Petitioner assails the legality of the

impugned order dated 19.10.2025 passed by the Opposite Party No.3, the Divisional Forest Officer, Keonjhar, whereby the working permission earlier granted in favour of the Petitioner in respect of 51.99 hectares of diverted forest land forming an integral part of the Roida-I Iron and Manganese Mine has been revoked. The Petitioner contends that the said revocation is arbitrary, unsustainable in law, and violative of the mandate governing forest-diverted mining

g g n ita e l d y b S y i : g B n H ed ABAGRAHI JHANKAR Reason: Authentication Location: ORISSA HIGH COURT, CUTTACK Date: 03-Dec-2025 17:58:11 operations. Consequently, the Petitioner prays for issuance of an appropriate writ to quash the aforesaid order and to pass appropriate order to the Opposite Parties to restore the working permission and to permit the Petitioner to continue with mining operations, including transportation and dispatch of minerals, over the said 51.99 hectares of the subject mine.

ACTUAL ATRIX OF THE ASE

2. The brief facts of the case are as follows:

(i) M/s Khatau Narbheram and Co. was originally granted a Mining lease for Roida - I block over 104.68 ha of Siddhamatha Reserve Forest, situated in village Roida, Barbil Tahasil, District Keonjhar, Odisha on 21.05.1963 for a period of 30 years with effect from 23.1.1953 to 22.1.1983. Thereafter, the renewal of mining lease was granted for 20 years from 23.1.1983 to 22.1.2003. Further, on 31.10.1996, the mining lease was transferred to Mideast Integrated Steels Limited (’MISL’) for a period up to 22.1.2003. Subsequently, the said Mining Lease was extended up to 31.3.2020 through a supplementary mining lease deed executed on 13.7.2015.

(ii) On 4.1.2006, Ministry of Environment Forest Clearance and Climate Change, New Delhi (‘MoEF’) granted in principle approval of Forest clearance over 51.990 ha including 23.393 ha of pre -1980 broken up forest area and 28.597 ha of fresh forest land and excluding safety zone of 8.581 ha.

g g n ita e l d y b S y i : g B n H ed ABAGRAHI JHANKAR Reason: Authentication Location: ORISSA HIGH COURT, CUTTACK Date: 03-Dec-2025 17:58:11 (iii) Thereafter, on 19.2.2008, MoEF granted final approval of Forest clearance over the abovementioned 51.99 ha of forest land inside the Siddhamatha Reserve Forest area. On 23.5.2011, DFO, Keonjhar stopped MISL from transporting mineral through Siddhamatha Reserve Forest, from the western boundary of the Mining Lease connecting to NH520 (earlier NH 215) which was outside the mining lease area, for want of Forest Clearance.

(iv) MISL filed W.P.(C) No.23722 of 2011 before this Court challenging the letter dated 23.5.2011 of the DFO, Keonjhar wherein this Court on 29.9.2011 passed an interim order permitting the MISL to seek permission from DFO, Keonjhar (Opposite Party No.2) to transport raw materials through Siddhamatha Reserve Forest which leads to NH 215 without affecting diversion of forest area, which was allowed by DFO, Keonjhar on monthly basis. This Court dismissed W.P.(C)No.23722 of 2011 filed by MISL on 5.2.2019, for want of prosecution, without deciding the matter on merits.

(v) Meanwhile, on 13.9.2017 the MoEF granted in principle approval of forest clear