Post News Network
Joda, Dec 30: The MB Shah Commission and the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC), which had submitted their reports to the Central government, have pointed out many irregularities. Some have been ‘leaked’ to the media, while many details are yet to emerge.
The findings about the Orissa Mining Corporation’s (OMC) irregularities have come out. The reports said that OMC has a mine at Bansapani under Joda mining circle, sprawling over 380.400 hectare, of which 188.717 hectare belong to forest area. The Shah Commission report pointed out that the mine has remained closed since June 13, 2004. Minerals have been illegally extracted without forest and environment clearances and the illegally extracted minerals has been valued at `69 crore. Besides, OMC’s Balda-Palasa-Jajang (BPJ) mine sprawls over 866.595 hectare under the Joda mining circle. A total of 306.281 hectare of the mine belong to the forest category and has remained closed since 2010.
According to the Shah Commission findings, the OMC has illegally extracted 9,55,950 tonne of minerals without
obtaining forest and environment clearances, in the period 2005-6 to 2009-10. In addition, illegal mining has taken place in the OMC’s Dubuda-Sakradidhi iron and manganese mines, sans statutory approval. The total areas of these mines are 1322.998 hectare, of which 1155.836 hectare are in forest category. During the period 1995-96 till 2006-7, the OMC has illegally quarried 16,67,818 tonne of iron ore and 17,166 tonne of manganese from these mines without obtaining forest and environment clearance.
The Shah Commission report also pointed out that the OMC-owned Khandabandh iron ore mine is spread over 366.311 hectare, of which 305.530 hectare belong to forest category. The state-owned mining enterprise had illegally quarried 18,06,947 tonne of iron ore during the period 1994-5 to 2009-10, without forest and environment clearances.
The Shah Commission report has also pointed out large-scale irregularities in the OMC-owned Serenda-Bhadrasahi iron and manganese mines. A total of 16,10,60 tonne of minerals had been extracted during the period 1994-95 till 2010-11, without temporary working permit and forest and environment clearances.The environment clearance was given in December 15, 2008 with a ceiling of extracting 50,000 tonne of minerals.
Contacted, DFO Rohit Kumar Lenka said that the forest department has taken action against these mines. District collector Bishnu Prasad Sahu said that the revenue department has taken action against the mines of OMC for irregularities.