Joda: Rampant illegal extraction of minerals is flourishing in many areas of Joda mining circle in Keonjhar district, sources alleged Tuesday. A case in point is a ‘closed’ mine in Jajang locality from which a huge amount of iron ore has been illegally plundered recently. It proves that illegal mining of minerals has not stopped in this district, even though officials claim so. Illegal extraction has led to creation of huge craters that are dangerous for people moving around in the locality.
Sources said that despite being aware of the development, the Revenue department has tried to play down the issue. It has only imposed fines to the tune of Rs 37 lakh for illegal soil lifting on those involved in the prohibited extraction of iron ore. It should be stated here that a cubic foot of soil is valued at Rs 35 while a metric tonne of iron ore is priced at Rs 2,000 (minimum). Many have expressed surprise at the way the Mines department has ignored the entire development.
Sources said that since the lease of the mine expired in 2020, it is now in the possession of the government. It should be stated here that in 2020, many mines under the Joda circle were auctioned. Big companies acquired lease of the mines after paying huge premiums. However, some mines could not be auctioned due to various legal issues and the failure of leaseholders to deposit penalties as fixed by the Supreme Court on the basis of the guidelines under MMDR Act21(5). These mines were declared ‘closed’ then. They are supposed to be protected by the lease holders and the Mines department.
Due to their failure to do so, these mines are now being plundered by the mafia, the sources pointed out. Locals informed that the government is suffering huge revenue losses due to the illegal extraction of iron ore. They have demanded an investigation so that the exact amount of revenue loss becomes clear to the public. Deputy Director of Mines department, Dinesh Agrawal feigned ignorance over the entire episode. He in fact blamed this correspondent for not giving the information regarding the illegal extraction. “If mineral has been illegally extracted and you have proof, then why did you not inform us,” asked Agrawal. Even though he assured that he would send inspectors of the Mines department to examine the plundered mine, Agrawal also pointed out that the mine is located outside the lease area.
