The State machinery neither investigated the irregularities nor took action to recover the mineral theft from the mines…
Keonjhar: The Union Ministry for Steel and Mines has directed the state Steel and Mines Department to probe illegal mineral transportation that had taken place at Hisaburu railway siding under Joda mining circle in Keonjhar.
Justice MB Shah Commission which had investigated the multi-crore mining scam pointed out in its report about massive irregularities at Hisaburu.
The illegally extracted minerals from Uliburu used to be transported to Hisaburu railway siding.
“Such irregularities had not been brought under the purview of investigation by the state government while no step was taken to recover funds from the mines barons for illegal mineral transportation. The Hisaburu mineral irregularities were suppressed,” alleged social activist Mukhtar Ahmmed Rain.
Mukhtar had written to the Union Ministry of Steel and Mines April 16, 2018, seeking a thorough probe into the irregularities.
In response to his letter, the Union Ministry of Steel and Mines has directed the State Steel and Mines Department May 27 in this regard. Now, several quarters are watching with bated breath to see what kind of stance the state government takes in the matter.
Some mining officials were aware of the mineral smuggling. Deepak Gupta, the mastermind of the Ulliburu mining scam, had sought a licence for mineral procurement from the office of the deputy director of Joda for Deepak Steel and Power Ltd in 2008 to regularise mineral transportation to Hisaburu railway siding.
Thereafter, illegally mined iron ore was being transshipped to Hisaburu railway siding. In 2009, the district level enforcement squad had seized 20,000 tonne of iron ore at the siding.
The licence of Deepak Steel and Power Ltd was scrapped and the plant was penalized.
The railway siding is on the borders of Jharkhand and all the illegal activities were being monitored at Badajamuda station in Jharkhand.
However, it was also alleged huge quantity of illegal iron ore had been transported through Hisaburu rail siding although Gupta’s procurement licence was cancelled. Several influential officials had amassed wealth by facilitating illegal mineral transportation, it was alleged.
PNN
