Keonjhar: After the mining scam came to the fore a few years ago, the state government tightened mineral laws to check illegalities in the sector. Despite this, illegalities are allegedly being committed in some mines, which were detected recently, a report said.
According to the report, some mining companies have got lease of mines by paying high premiums. They are violating the government guidelines so as to make profits to make for their losses.
This was exposed by the directorate of mines. Recently, the joint director of the mines (Bhubaneswar) had visited some mining areas. Following this visit, director of mines Debidutta Biswal in a letter (6605/Sept 23/2020) to the joint director of mines at Joda has pointed out illegalities in some mines.
It was alleged that illegalities worth crores of rupees have been committed while locals have demanded a high level probe into the alleged scam.
Some mining firms have got mines’ leases by paying more than 100 per cent premiums. Various circles apprehended that how these firms are looking for various illegal ways to make profits so that they can get back their high premiums.
One way was to control the price of the minerals.
After lease of mines, various circles had alleged a number of illegal ways. Considering this, the joint director of mines recently made surprise visits to mines at Jajanga, Nuagan, Ganua, Narayanposi and Thakurani. He detected irregularities in these mines, it was reported.
The lessees had not made stacks of their extracted mineral in proper geometrical shapes while stacks were not in specified areas as per the approved mining plan. There was manipulation in the standard of minerals with evasion of taxes, it was reported.
The authorities had checked minerals by taking 33 samples. But the grades of 15 samples were shown as poor grades in their records whereas they were found to be of high grades.
It was found that the lessee has installed quick disposal system in the weigh bridges of Narayanposi, Jajang and Nuagan iron ore mines.
The letter pointed out that in this system, excess mineral carried by a vehicle is taken out and dumped beside weigh bridges and loaded where that vehicle carried less. When multiple grade minerals are dispatched simultaneously, there is chance of mix-up.
“Therefore, it is advised that in the leases where QDS is installed, care should be taken to dispatch the stacks of similar grade in stages,” the letter said.
The director of mines has wanted necessary action in this direction. The joint director of mines, Joda, has been directed to issue demand notice to the lessees for payment of differential royalty and premium of the stacks which have been found to having more iron content than the permitted level.
The director of mines has laid stress on strict following of Rule-10 of Orissa Minerals (Prevention of Theft, Smuggling and Illegal Mining and Regulation of Possession, Storage, Trading and Transportation) Rule, 2007 while issuing permission for removal of stocks.
Salil Behera, joint director of mines at Joda said that works of new lessees are being routinely checked, but not so much irregularities were detected.
It was learnt that a total of 1,901 tones of minerals are in stock but 59.49 per cent of this stock is under a mining firm. Another 179 tonnes which means 9.4 per cent of the stock is under a south Indian mining firm. The two firms have accounted for 68.91 per cent of total stocks, but these firms have no mega industries in Odisha.
PNN
