The Keonjhar district Collector has issued orders to seize assets of three mining companies who have failed to pay penalty imposed by court for illegal mining.
He has also ordered to freeze the bank accounts of the companies too, which included M/s SD Sharma, M/s Arjun Lodha and M/s Gandhamardan Sponge Industries Ltd. Another defaulter mining company Mid East Integrated Steel Ltd had filed an appeal at the Central Mines Tribunal for recalculation of the penalty for which the Collector has ordered the company to comply with deposit of penalty within a week.
Hearing a certificate case, Collector Ashis Thakare issued warrant to confiscate the property and assets including vehicles and machinery of SD Sharma, besides freezing their bank accounts. Similarly in an OPDR case, the Gandhamardan sponge had defaulted in paying Rs 295 crore for which its assets and bank accounts were ordered to be seized for realization of the fines. Again in another OPDR case, Arjun Lodha was declared guilty of nonpayment of penalty and all its assets and bank accounts were ordered for seizure. Since the company office and assets are outside the State, proper legal steps would be taken for seizure of assets outside Odisha, the Collector said.
So far, cases have been booked against 23 mining companies holding 31 leases and steps were initiated to collect a total sum of Rs 6,350 crore penalty from them.
