Jajpur: The Odisha Lokayukta issued notices to the state government Thursday in connection with illegal mining at a stone quarry in Lunibara mouza near Chadheidhara under Jenapur police limits in Jajpur district, where two workers were killed May 31 this year. Additional chief secretary of Department of Steel and Mines and the quarry’s lessee Gangadhar Ojha have been summoned by the Lokayukta seeking their views and comments on the matter within six weeks.
Notably, the workers identified as Appu Raut and Shantanu Khilar died after a large boulder came crashing down on them from a height of 20 feet during the illegal quarrying. A heavy machine was being openly used for illegal mining of black stone and had the tragedy not taken place, illegal mining of quarry would not have been reported at all.
Taking suo motu cognisance of this report published in the Orissa POST June 1, the anticorruption watchdog had earlier directed the director of Vigilance to conduct a preliminary inquiry to ascertain whether there exists a prima facie case against any public servant(s) or person(s) for proceeding further in the matter and submit a report within a period of two months. The director of Vigilance after conducting an inquiry submitted the preliminary inquiry report September 25. Although the report clearly stated that the leaseholder Gangadhar Ojha was engaged in the illegal quarrying of black stone by using a Caterpillar 323D3 hydraulic excavator, the involvement of any government official in the illegal quarrying could not be established.
According to the report, despite repeated efforts made by the Inquiring Officer to examine Ojha, he did not cooperate and successfully avoided the inquiry. The Lokayukta prima facie found evidence that Ojha was illegally quarrying black stone by openly using hydraulic excavator which is a heavy machine and during such illegal quarrying, two persons lost their lives. The anti-corruption body further wondered how Ojha could openly carry out illegal mining of black stone without the knowledge of concerned public servants, who are duty-bound to protect the natural resources of the state from illegal mining.
The anti-corruption body questioned whether persons involved in such illegal mining resulting in the deaths of workers can be allowed to get away only with the registration of criminal cases against them followed with a prolonged trial or that they should also be dealt with an administrative action by the department. It further asked whether the concerned public authority should be made accountable for the illegal mining within his territorial jurisdiction. The next date of hearing of the case has been fixed to November 23.