The Orissa government today approached the Supreme Court challenging the Centre's decision to reject environmental clearance to Vedanta bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri Hills. Challenging the Environment Ministry's order of August 24, 2010, the state government filed an application through Orissa Mining Corporation, contending that the Centre's decision was in violation of the Supreme Court's previous order giving a green signal to the project. Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for OMC, contended that the order was illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the apex court's direction. A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam agreed to hear the plea and also suggested that the state government and the mining corporation may file a contempt petition against the Centre if they thought that the Supreme Court's order had been violated. The Centre had on August 24 last year rejected environmental clearance the UK-based Vedanta group's, 1.7 billion USD bauxite mining project proposed in Orissa.