CBI Probes Hindalco for Alleged Coal Mining Corruption

The CBI has accused leading aluminium producer Hindalco of the Aditya Birla Group of corruption in obtaining environmental clearances for coal mining from 2011 to 2013. The agency has named T Chandini, a former Union Ministry official, for favouring Hindalco by violating ministry guidelines in the critically polluted Talabira-I mine area.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has charged Hindalco, a top aluminium producer of the Aditya Birla Group, with corruption related to acquiring environmental clearances for coal mining between 2011 and 2013, officials disclosed on Tuesday.

The FIR names T Chandini, then director in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, for allegedly favoring Hindalco while serving as the member secretary of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). This resulted in mining approvals that violated ministry guidelines in the critically polluted Talabira-I area of Jharsuguda, Odisha.

The CBI initiated this FIR following an eight-year preliminary inquiry, which began in 2016, alleging that the Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited (ABMCPL) paid substantial bribes to ministry officials. The probe revealed that mandatory environmental clearances, required for new projects or expansions since 2006, were bypassed. Despite known violations, Chandini allegedly continued processing Hindalco's proposal, facilitating the company's excess coal production and further pollution in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)