Bhubaneswar/Jajpur: The state Lokayukta here Monday ordered a Vigilance department probe into the death of two workers who were killed during mining at an illegal black stone quarry in Lunibar mouza near Chadheidhara under Jenapur police limits in Jajpur district, May 31. The Lokayukta passed the order on the basis of a report published on page 5 in Orissa POST. One of the deceased was identified as Appu Raut, the operator of an excavator, and Shantanu Khilar, a helper. The Lokayukta while ordering a probe observed that apparently, a heavy machine was being used in the illegal mining of black stone. The two inside the excavator were loading heavy boulders on a transport vehicle when a large chunk of stone came crashing down on them from a height of 20 feet. Khilar died on the spot. Raut was rescued and rushed to the Dharmasala community health centre (CHC) first and later shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where he succumbed during treatment. The state Lokayukta took suo motu cognizance of the report published in Orissa POST and registered a case LY-250/2023 instructing the Director of the Vigilance department to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within a period of two months. Had the tragedy not taken place, illegal mining in the quarry would not have seen the light of day.
The Lokayukta has questioned whether the illegal mining was being carried out in connivance with government officials for wrongful gains. The Lokayukta observed that such mining is causing huge financial losses to the state exchequer The Vigilance department has been asked to examine whether there exists a prime facie case for proceeding further in the matter against any public servants or any other persons. The matter has been listed for the next hearing August 7, 2023, when the Vigilance Department will submit its preliminary probe report.
