Keonjhar: Mine owners are deeply worried over the whopping penalty imposed on them for irregularities and retraining their mines lease in Keonjhar, as deadline for coughing up penalty draws closer.
Notably, the Supreme Court has made it clear that if the mine owners fail to pay the fine due from them by December 31, their mine lease will be cancelled. The mine owners are in a spot over arranging and clearing the dues in a short period. No doubt, the New Year celebrations they had planned will now be lackluster.
The government has been asked by the apex court to recover the fine under Section 21(5) of the Mining and Mineral Development Act.
Opposing the penalty on them, the mine owners had appealed to the Mining Tribunal (Revision Authority). The SC had ordered for 100 percent fine recovery from them.
According to a report, only four to five companies have paid their fines so far, while the remaining firms are still desperately trying to arrange the funds. Particularly, those miners who own captive mines are trying their best to run their plants by paying the fine.
It was learnt that owners of some mining firms are allegedly trying to go abroad without paying the fine. Various circles said that many miners have made big buck from large-scale mining irregularities and have splurged. As a result, they are now unable to pay huge amount fine imposed on them.
Keonjhar district has the highest number of mines – about 31.33 per cent of mines in the state are concentrated in this district. Earlier, the MB Shah Commission and CEC had pointed large-scale mining irregularities in the district.
The Joda mining circle has 101 mines, the highest number in the district. Of these, only 24 mines are under Keonjhar Mining Circle. Now only 27 mines are operative – 24 in Joda and 10 in Keonjhar. In all 87 mines lie inoperative, while 10 are temporarily closed. One mine has been surrendered to the government.
Owing to illegal mining, various companies are to pay fines. An amount of `1983.86 crore is due from Sharada Mines; `1102.63 crore from Essel Mining; `924.75 crore from Mesco; `480.14 crore from Patnaik Minerals; the state-owned OMC owes `2177.97 crore; RP Sao (`1127.01 crore); Sirajuddin (`755.24 crore); KJS Ahluwalia (`719.19 crore); BPME (`838.08 core); Rungta Mines (`291.42 core); Tisco (`614.41); OMDC (`642.94 crore); Indrani Patnaik (`161.35 core); Rungta Sons (`366.79 crore); ML Rungta (`106.13 crore); KMC (Rs 201.09 crore); Gitanjali Mohanty (`185.95 core); Gandhamardan Sponge Iron Ltd (`273.12 crore); BK Mohanty (`384.75 crore); National Enterprises (`402.12 crore); Dr Sarojini Pradhan (`216.86 crore); KN Ram (`236. 36 crore); Malaray Mines (`223.57 crore); Jindal (`137.82 crore); KP Enterprises (`198.18 crore); DR Patnaik (`74.01 crore); AMTS (`146.43 crore); SN Mohanty (`151.06 crore); JN Patnaik (`123. 87 crore); HG Panmdiqaya Mines (`86. 41 crore); BC Deb Mines (`116.84 crore); TB Lala (`93.04 crore); Bhanja Mineral (`73.10 crore); MG Mohanty (`32.67 core) and Arjun Lodha (`63.43 crore).
PNN