BHUBANESWAR: Opposition BJP on Tuesday urged the State Government to forbid miners penalised by the Supreme Court for illegal mining from participating in the ongoing auction of 38 mines.Writing to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik a day before the winter session of Odisha Assembly, Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik requested the former not to allow those miners who have been found guilty of excess mining in violation of mining rules and subletting mining leases to private contractors of mineral exploration in violation of Section 37 of Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.
“I have requested the Chief Minister to issue a notification prohibiting such miners from taking part in the auction process. I have also requested him not to allow any member of the family, relatives and employees of such miners to take part in the auction process,” Naik said.Responding to Naik’s demand, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said the BJP leader’s argument is without any logic.
He said public sector undertakings like Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) were penalised on similar grounds. Will the State Government not grant mining lease to these PSU, Niranjan wondered.Meanwhile, the State Government has invited tenders for auction of 38 mines of which leases of 22 mining blocks are going to expire by March 31, 2020. The remaining 16 blocks are virgin mines.
The State Government had issued notices to 131 mining leaseholders for payment of the full cost of the mineral extracted in excess of the mining plan following the August 2, 2017 Supreme Court order.A majority of the lease holders of non-operating mines have not responded to the August 2 order of the Supreme Court. The State Government had cancelled mining leases of Arjun Ladha, Mineral Trading, HG Pandya & Others, BD Patnaik, Bhanj Mineral and MR Das Mines as they failed to pay the stipulated penalty imposed by the government for illegal mining.
Besides, the State Government had initiated certificate cases against 39 mines out of which 15 have made partial payment. The apex court, setting December 31, 2017 as the deadline, had directed the State Government for 100 per cent recovery of minerals mined in excess of the approved mining plan.
Under the hammer
State has invited tenders for auction of 38 mines
Leases of 22 out of 38 mining blocks set to expire by
March 31, 2020
Remaining 16 blocks virgin mines