With a view to curb the lifting of minerals beyond the IBM (Indian Bureau of Mines) approved plan by the mining companies operating in the state, the Orissa government has constituted a high-powered six-member committee.
The committee will look into cases of excessive lifting of minerals by the minerals and is expected to recommend the imposition of penalty on the errant miners, an official source told Business Standard.
This committee headed by the Director of Mines, Orissa government, will submit its report to the state government by September 30. The appointment of the committee follows the order of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Raising of ores by the miners beyond the IBM approved mining plan, both in the public and private sector over the last ten years, had evoked protests from the Opposition political parties and caught the state government in a tight spot. IBM specifies the quantum of ore that can be raised by a mining company in a year in its 'Mining Plan'.
Earlier, during the monsoon session of the state legislative assembly, the state industries minister had informed that eight out of 10 mines offered on lease to Tata Steel in Orissa by the state government had mined beyond the IBM approved mining plan during the last ten years.
The mines of Tata Steel which have recorded mineral production in excess of the IBM approved plan are Joda East Iron Ore Mines, Manmora Manganese Mines, Katamati Iron Ore Mines, Guruda Tiringpahad Manganese Mines, Bamebari Manganese Mines, Joda West Manganese Mines, Sukinda Chromite Mines and Malda Manganese Mines. Nine out of 10 mines were carrying out operations under deemed extension, according to the fact sheet provided by the minister on the assembly.
Mohanty had also informed during the assembly session that the state government owned Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) was among the four other firms operating in the Joda-Barbil belt in Keonjhar district to have extracted minerals beyond the IBM approved mining plan. Apart from OMC, the three other private miners were GSI Pvt Ltd, Narayani Sons and B D Agarwal. The overall excess production from these four firms has been worked out to be around 44 lakh tonnes from 2002-03 till the end of 2009-10 and the market value of this excess production stands at about ' 954 crore.
According to the figures provided by the state steel and mines minister , OMC produced 2.74 lakh tonnes of iron ore in 2002-03 from the Gandhanmardhan block-B as against an approved capacity of 2.01 lakh tonnes. This mineral block is spread over 1590.86 hectares.
In 2003-04, the production from the same block was 4.13 lakh tonnes compared to the IBM approved capacity of 2.5 lakh tonnes.
OMC also exceeded the approved production targets from this block in 2004-05 and 2007-08 while it fell short of the targeted production in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2009-10.
