Keonjhar: Fourteen of 15 mining firms notified for hearing appeared Saturday in the court of the District Magistrate which has been hearing the cases pertaining to confiscation of properties of the defaulting mining companies.
MR Das Mine did not turn up and it was asked to appear November 24. The court made it clear to the MR Das Mine that the hearing will be held that day even if it doesn’t appear.
The court also said that as a case is pending against the firm in the Supreme Court, action could not be taken against it.
Significantly, Rs 133 crore was deposited by some defaulting miners in the court Saturday. Reports said BPME paid Rs 2 crore and OMDC paid Rs 130 crore to the court.
Next hearings will be held November 24 and December 1. BPME has been imposed a penalty of Rs 873.44 crore for illegal mining. The amount was assessed by the MB Shah Commission.
The Supreme Court had directed the state government to recover penalties from the scam-tainted mine owners. Many miners have deposited their penalties while many others have not till date. The mines department had moved the DM court for confiscation of their assets. The case is going on against 31 mines owned by 23 firms.
Some mining firms are waiting to get documents of their legal heirs. The cases will come up for hearing November 24. SC Padhi had deposited Rs 10 lakh online, totaling to Rs 1.93 crore with the mining department.
The cases of eight mine leaseholders — SC Padhi, Mesco, Bhanj Minerals, Facor, Narayani and Sons, Mineral Trading Syndicate, BD Patnaik and SN Dasmohapatra — were heard August 8.
PNN
