Dhenkanal/Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police Monday arrested one person in connection with the death of two workers in a blast at an illegal stone quarry in Dhenkanal district, officials said.
The arrested person was identified as Chhabindra Mahakud, supervisor of the quarry, which was operating without a valid licence, Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar told PTI.
A case has been registered against the quarry owner, and further investigation is underway, he said.
The incident occurred Saturday night at a quarry under Motanga police station limits when workers were drilling holes for blasting. Two labourers were killed on the spot.
The deceased were identified as Abhi Singh (25) of Balasore district and Budhu Munda (23) of Keonjhar district. Their bodies were recovered Sunday from beneath debris following a search and rescue operation, the SP said.
The police have also conducted raids at several locations to verify whether other quarries in the area are operating legally, Sonkar added.
Meanwhile, the incident triggered a political row with the opposition BJD accusing the BJP-led state government of allowing rampant illegal mining.
Addressing a press conference here, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged that illegal mining was reflected in declining mineral revenue collections.
He claimed revenue from major minerals had fallen from Rs 50,000 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 34,000 crore in 2024–25, while collections from minor minerals dropped from Rs 1,485 crore to Rs 600 crore.
The BJP came to power in the state in June 2024.
Mohanty further alleged that the blasting permit of the Dhenkanal quarry was invalid and its lease had expired.
Citing letters written by Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi and BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi on illegal mining, he accused the government of inaction.
The BJP government, however, has not responded to the allegations till the filing of this report.
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