FRONT PAGE | Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | Email | Print | 
Odisha illegal mines suffer big jolt as SC orders probe
PNS | New Delhi / Bhubaneswar / Keon
The illegal mining lobby in Orissa has suffered a big setback with the Supreme Court instructing its Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to investigate the mining scam and submit its report in six weeks. Work has been stopped in 50 of the at least 150 illegal mines.
The directive has come from the apex court's green bench, comprising Chief Justice KG Balkrishnan, Justice SH Kapadia and Justice Aftab Alam, in response to a 150-page petition filed by Rabi Das, president of Odisha Jana Sammilani, on how mineral resources are being looted in Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts connivance with people in power.
Das has also mentioned in his petition that illegal mining is going on in “flagrant violation” of forest laws with the patronage of those in power. The petition mentions how applications for ‘renewal’ of mining leases are being used as a ruse to continue illegal mining.
According to Das, illegal mining in at least 150 mines has resulted in the loot of Rs 7,000 crore every year. “The large-scale plunder of the national wealth has enriched and has further robustly strengthened an entirely corrupt system, which is well entrenched and all-pervasive.” The petition says that despite the Centre's repeated instructions to the State Government that “such activities are not permissible under law and are to be forthwith stopped,” no action has been taken.
Meanwhile, rattled by the Supreme Court’s directive and the mounting public protests against illegal mining, the State Government on Tuesday decided to set up various task forces. Simultaneously, the Vigilance Department conducted raids on the offices and mines of the one of the State's biggest mine owner, Shirazuddin & Co. The Vigilance Department constituted 16 teams, comprising 52 officials, to conduct the raids at Joda, Barbil, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. Show-cause notices have been issued to 69 mine owners.
Raids were conducted on both Balda-B Block and Guruda iron and manganese mines of Shirazuddin and Co (mine owner and exporter) spread over 335.84 and 40.064 hectares respectively and under Deputy Director of Mines, Joda mining circle. Raids were also conducted at Aliza International office near Raj Bhavan, Aliza Steel and Iron Company at Brahmeswarpatna, office of the accountant of Shirazuddin & Co at Bapuji Nagar and office of the State Pollution Control Board in Bhubaneswar. The business founded by Shirazuddin is now managed by his grandsons.
Vigilance SP Debadutta Patnaik said the raiding teams comprise officials of mining, geology, revenue, sales tax and forest and environment departments. The teams did an on-the-spot verification to ascertain the depth and width of the mines, the ores being raised and differently stacked and exported from the area over a period of years.
Reports say that Shirazuddin & Co allegedly violated the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and laws of the Indian Bureau of Mines. Many mines of the company are still operating in Joda areas. The Vigilance teams seized a number of incriminating documents. Illegal mining is believed to have fetched at least Rs 1,000 crore.
In Bhubaneswar, rattled by the allegation of corruption in the mines sector, a task force set up to deal with the issue met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary TK Mishra on Tuesday and decided to intensify raids to check illegal mining and transportation of minerals.
Email | Print | Rate:
|