The state steel & mines department is likely to seek the views of the law department on recovering the cost of ore raised beyond the quantity approved in the mining plan.
As many as 104 lessees in the state had extracted ore in the past ten years in excess of the mining plan approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the Accountant General had asked the department to recover the cost of excess ore raised.
The decision to consult the law department of recovering cost of ore was taken at a recent meeting on 'Production of Ore Without Proper Environmental Clearances and Consent Under Air and Water Act'.
A six-member committee headed by the Director (Mines) was constituted in August last year under Director (Mines) to look into cases of the miners who had raised ores beyond the IBM approved mining plan. After the committee submitted its report, it was referred to the IBM.The excess mining has been in case of iron ore, limestone, manganese and chromite and there are cases where the miners have raised ores in excess of the IBM approved Mining Plan for a year or so in the last ten years.
The committee was constituted as per the order of the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to look into cases of excessive lifting of minerals by the miners and recommend the imposition of penalty on the errant miners.Meanwhile, the state Chief Secretary has written to the Union mines secretary S Vijay Kumar, urging the latter to direct the IBM to do the needful in the matter in accordance with law under intimation to the state government.
"During the last 10 years, 104 leaseholds of bulk minerals have prime facie exceeded the annual production limit approved in the mining plan in violation of Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR)-1988. As you are aware, only authorized officers of IBM have powers to take appropriate action under MCDR-1988. This matter has been informed to IBM to take appropriate action under Rule 13 (2) of the said rules including suspension of the lease and recommending for termination wherever considered necessary”, Patnaik said in his letter to the Union mines secretary.
Earlier, the state steel & mines secretary Manoj Ahuja had written thrice to the IBM and also to the Union mines secretary.
