Ahead of polls, Odisha govt doubles monthly social security entitlement sum
Now with the hike, a beneficiary will be entitled to receive a minimum monthly pension of Rs 1000.
Cracking a whip on minor minerals theft, the Odisha government has slapped Rs 228 crore penalty, including environment compensation charges, on a man for unlawful extraction of minerals from state land in Jajpur district.
The accused Sarbeswar Beheuria was served a notice of the levying of penalty by the Jajpur collector under provisions of the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2016, an official said on Thursday.
Beheuria, an RTI activist, was arrested last year for allegedly illegally excavating and transporting earth and murrum from government land. Police had also arrested five others and seized the vehicles engaged in illegal mining.
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“Calculation of royalty, additional charges and penalty along with District Mineral Foundation (DMF), Environment management fund (EMF) and Environmental Compensation charges for illegal extraction of minor minerals in Darpan Tahasil by Sarbeswar Beheuria is fixed at Rs 228.25 crore,” the Jajpur collector directed the Darpan Tahasildar in a letter while seeking issuance of demand notice to the man for illegal mineral extraction.
The government on November 11 conducted a drone aerial survey for the volumetric assessment of unauthorized excavation at Manduka Mauza in presence of Tahasildar Darpan, Deputy Director (minor minerals) Jajpur circle, Regional Officer State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and forest range officer, Byree.
The Survey agency had submitted a report wherein the total volume quantity of morrum (minor mineral) excavated reported as 253273.65 cubic metres. An inquiry conducted in this regard had found the involvement of Beheuria in the mineral smuggling, added an official.
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