Firms awaiting green nod bought electoral bonds worth Rs 825 crore

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, March 17

Firms awaiting environment and forest clearances from the Ministry of Environment and also companies which have violated environmental norms have purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 825 crore, reveals data.

Vedanta, essel mining top buyers

• Vedanta Group purchased bonds worth Rs 375 crore between 2019 and 2024. In May 2022, the NGT imposed a fine of Rs 25 crore on Vedanta for violating environmental norms
• Aditya Birla’s Essel Mining & Industries Ltd has clearances pending for Bunder diamond project in Chhindwara (MP). The project falls in the buffer zone of Panna Tiger Reserve. It purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 224.5 crore

Aditya Birla’s Essel Mining & Industries Limited (EMIL) has pending statutory clearances for Bunder Diamond Project in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. Due to proximity of the project in the buffer zone of Panna Tiger Reserve the environment ministry in 2020 asked EMIL to get forest and wildlife clearances. The forest clearance of the project is still pending. It purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 224.5 crore. The project also faced huge opposition from the local villagers.

The Vedanta Group, founded by industrialist Anil Agarwal purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 375 crore between 2019 and 2024. Of Rs 375 crore, Rs 98 crore was bought in January 2022, just before the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. In May 2022, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a fine of Rs 25 crore on Vedanta for violating environmental norms by expanding its alumina refinery in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

MSPL Ltd which deals in iron ore mining invested in bonds worth Rs 1 crore in April 2019 and Rs 3 crore in April 2023.

In January 2022, the company sought modifications for its iron ore processing plant in Karnataka’s Bellary from the Ministry of Environment which included modifications to the project including doubling production capacity and usage of groundwater. The ministry amended the clearance conditions a month later.