Bhubaneswar: The state government will prepare an action plan to ensure proper utilisation of the fines collected from the mining lessees in connection with illegal mining.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of Orissa Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC), Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi Saturday directed the departments concerned to prepare outcome-based action plan for utilisation of the funds for the development of the people and the areas affected by illegal mining.
On the basis of the August 2, 2017 order of the Supreme Court, the state government had issued demand notices of Rs 17,576 crore against 152 iron ore and manganese mines for illegal extraction of ores between 2000-01 and 2010-11. However, the state has so far collected about Rs 8,290 crore, official sources said.
During the meeting, Padhi asked the officials to prepare the action plan within four days so that the government can submit the same before the next hearing of the apex court scheduled for January 17, the source said.
Projects related to livelihood promotion, housing, drinking water, health, agriculture, irrigation, education, etc will be given priority in the action plan, they said.
According to sources, 691 villages of 129 gram panchayats in 30 blocks of eight districts have been covered under the OMBADC funds. The districts are: Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.
Excluding the fines collected from miners, the corporation has got funds over Rs 1,000 crore while the projects worth Rs 900 crore have been approved for these villages so far.
PNN
