The Orissa High Court has issued a show-cause notice to the State Government on the alleged illegal mining activities in the State, resulting in the government losing revenue worth crores of rupees.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman, in response to a public interest litigation filed by Sravan Kumar Deb, directed the Government to furnish a reply within two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on 10 February next.
The petitioner flagged the massive mining loot in the State, stating that despite the judgment rendered by the apex court, the State Government is not strictly and rigorously implementing the direction.
The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had expressed serious concern about the illegal mining across the State, yet the State has shown an apathetic attitude in not taking adequate steps or measures in this regard, noted the petitioner in the PIL.
It is held by the top court that those illegal miners should be saddled with the cent per cent penalty as there is no escape route for the same, it further stated.
“Since the serious questions have been raised in the instant writ petition, we, therefore, permit the State to file an affidavit disclosing all the facts relating to the illegal mining activities across the State and the steps that have been taken in this regard”, the Division Bench ordered.
It is pertinent to note here that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court earlier in 2014, had detected incriminating lapses in the mining sector in Odisha. The committee had found that 102 of 187 iron and manganese ore mining leaseholders did not have the requisite clearances. As per the CEC report, 2,155 lakh million tonnes of iron and manganese ore had been extracted without environmental clearances.
Notably, the Shah Commission had been set up by the Central Government to investigate the illegal mining/the mining scam in Odisha. In November 2010, the Shah Commission gave a report regarding various irregularities, while the Odisha government has turned a blind eye to illegal mining. The report has stated that the extent of irregularities in the mining sector in Odisha was to the tune of Rs 59,000 crore.