Mining enforcement squad to be strengthened

The Orissa government has decided to strengthen the enforcement squad to check activities in the mining and mineral sector. The state finance department today approved a proposal of the steel and mines department for making appointment to 21 new posts for this purpose.

With this, the finance department has so far approved appointment to 36 posts which was required for strengthening the enforcement for checking the illegal mining activities, sources said. The approved posts include one inspector of police, one ranger (forest), two Habildars, 16 constables and one sub-inspector. This is expected to facilitate deployment of two additional police sections in the state level enforcement squad.

The state level enforcement squads have been mandated to prevent illegal mining, transportation, storage and theft of mineral resources in the mining areas of the state, sources added.

Meanwhile, the printing of transit passbooks in Orissa Government Press (OGP), Cuttack, has started and the stock of transit books needed for a week has already been supplied to the steel and mines department. More weigh bridges are planned to be set up in important mining areas to check illegal transport of minerals. The finance department also approved proposals of the Panchayatiraj department for continuance of the service of 136 Additional Block Development Officer (ADBO). Since the workload under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) has increased manifold, the continuance of the posts of ABDO had become necessary. Similarly, 314 posts of Gram Panchayat Officer (GPO) or Progressive Assistants (PAs), which were abolished earlier, will be revived.