Post News Network
Joda, Sept 7: A joint squad of mines and police department officials raided a truck parking zone at the foothills of Kalapahada inside Bileipada forest section of Thakurani reserve forest in Keonjhar and seized 69 sacks of manganese ore Monday.
The ore weighing approximately four tonne was of superior grade and had been concealed inside a bush for smuggling, mines inspectors Pitambar Mohanta and Jogendranath Kuldi, who participated in the raid, said. The miscreants, however, managed to escape before the raiding party arrived at the spot.
August 31, mines officials had conducted a similar raid in Guruda village under Bamebari police limits and had appropriated over three tonne of stolen manganese from the place. However, that has failed to deter the smugglers, who carry out their work with impunity despite regular raids conducted in the area. The miscreants manage to stay safe and give a slip to the mines and police officials through various loopholes in the system.
This has happened as the mines officials, except conducting raids, have failed to take any punitive action against the smugglers. The officials have also failed to identify the racket behind the smuggling of iron and manganese ores.
The complacency of mines department and the police has further emboldened the mafia in carrying out mineral smuggling. Locals sought the intervention of the state government and claimed that any delay might give rise to another mining scam in future.
Deputy director of mines, Joda circle, Susant Kumar Nayak said a total of 7147.409 tonne of iron and 145.29 tonne of manganese ores have been seized during the period from April to July 2015.
