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New Delhi: Hurdles blocking two major projects were cleared by the Supreme Court on Friday despite protests from farmers and an ancient tribe angry over losing its land.
South Korean steel firm POSCO was allowed the use of large swathes of forest land to build a $12 billion (around Dh44 billion) plant, while Britain's Vedanta Resources Plc was permitted to mine bauxite in hills held sacred by an ancient tribe.
The stand-offs over the projects in eastern Orissa state reflect a larger anger among Indian farmers and tribes fighting to save their land from factories as the country's economic priorities shift from agriculture to industry.
The court's decisions also highlighted worries of environmental groups that the projects threaten ecological balances and fragile biodiversity in a mineral-rich state.
"The project will bring significant employment and economic livelihood for the local people and overall development for the region," C.V. Krishnan, a senior Vedanta official, said.
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