Joda: Amid allegations and detection of irregularities in mineral transportation in Joda mining circle of Keonjhar, Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System (i3MMs) that is meant to check such irregularities has hardly been followed by transporters in some cases, a report said.
According to the report, irregularities were committed at a private rail siding near Jaribahal. Reliable sources said iron ore is being transported from a mine under Koida mining circle to this private rail siding.
The government has implemented i3MMs for mineral transportation. This system is aimed at preventing mineral thefts during the transit.
Through an online mode, the mines department can keep a strict vigil on the quantities of minerals being loaded in trucks, keep a track of the vehicles’ movement, their halts till they reach their destinations.
Monday, iron ore was transported from a mine in Koida area to a private rail siding, but the mineral was transported in a different route. The vehicles passed through a mining lease area.
As a rule of the mines department, before unloading minerals at the rail siding, transit records are checked at the entry gate. This is how the mines department know how much minerals were carried by the vehicles and how much was unloaded at the destination.
Monday, trucks carrying minerals were not checked at the gate. There were no records about how much mineral was transported and unloaded.
After the matter was intimated to Salil Kumar Behera, joint director of Joda mining circle, he got it probed by a mining officer and a senior mines inspector.
Behera admitted that there was shortage of officials for i3MMs. Staff will be appointed soon, he added. In the past, irregularities in mineral transportation had been detected in Joda and Koida mining circle.
Locals alleged that many unscrupulous mining officials might have been involved in the mineral irregularities. They demanded a high level probe into such irregularities.
PNN
