Joda: Though Global Positioning System (GPS) has been made mandatory for trucks and vehicles transporting minerals, it has flopped in Joda mining circle in Keonjhar, a report said.
To check illegal mineral extraction and transportation, the state government has made use of GPS in trucks mandatory. Integrated Mines Mineral Management System (i3Ms) has been put in place to track movements of mineral-laden trucks. Accordingly, trucks are registered with I3Ms and use the government-approved GPS devices.
But the system has failed due to a conspiracy hatched by some unscrupulous mining officials and middlemen. The result is that transportation of illegally mined minerals is not being checked in the district. Some trucks are using GPS devices that are not approved by the government. Such illegal GPS devices have been a gravy train for the corrupt mining officials and middlemen.
Even trucks belonging to other states are using such GPS devices.
A mining officer on the condition of anonymity said that huge amount of iron ore is being transported from Joda while some transport contractors have engaged trucks and heavy vehicles from other states in the district.
These trucks are transporting minerals at a price (per ton) lower than that fixed by the ‘Joda Truck Owners’ Association’.
The outside trucks have been fraudulently registered with I3Ms and are carrying out operations.
Now, even trucks registered with the local truck association are throwing GPS norms to the wind and using the devices from unauthorised agents.
For the last three months, the GPS devices have not been working, it is alleged. Some officials in the office of the deputy director (Joda mining circle) have been collecting annual renewal fee of Rs 3,600 from each truck owner.
However, deputy director of the Joda Mining Circle, LD Nayak, said no truck if not registered with I3Ms will not get transit pass. “Eight vendors have been permitted to sell GPS devices. If any fault is detected in the devices, it will be looked into,” he added.
About i3MS
The state’s steel and mines department has put in place a 24/7 system called Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System or i3MS. The system was put in the public domain in 2014. It not just monitors the transporting vehicles but also keeps a track of the ore mining process from scratch. As soon as the mine lessees and mine-ore procuring company apply for online permit, the system starts with automated checking of environmental, pollution, forest, surface right clearance of minimum production quantity, mining plan validity, lease working status and licence validity of the applicant. After the final approval from the deputy director of mines office has been secured after necessary processing, the system generates a transit permit. This permit has a unique number, details of mineral to be dispatched and its validity period. It does away with the need of paperwork. The mine lessee also needs to provide the number of vehicles that will be used before commencing mining. The system then takes into consideration the number of trucks that can pass over a route, recalculates the permissible number of vehicles and generates an e-pass. The pass has a bar code along with other details such as company name, mine ore details and mine ore’s weight. The pass generation by the system stops when the number of vehicles exceeds those allowed on a route. This helps maintain traffic on a route.
PNN