SC asks Central panel to file report on the issue

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted under it, to study the allegations of illegal mining in Orissa and file report within six weeks.

The directive comes in response to the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court on the issue.

The petitioner, Rabi Das, who is also a senior journalist of the state and president of Orissa Jana Samilani, had drawn the court’s attention to continuation of illegal mining in Keonjhar, Sundergarh and other mineral rich districts of Orissa in violation of Mines and Mineral Development Act, 1957, Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and directives and guidelines issued to the state under the act in 2002 by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

The petitioner has also pointed out irregularities relating to operation of mines whose lease period had expired under the dubious clause of “deemed renewal” and raising of minerals like iron ore and manganese in excess of the approved quantity from certain mines whose lease period was still valid. In total, he has listed out 155 mines where such illegal activities were going on.

In this backdrop, the petitioner prayed to the court to issue direction to CEC to conduct an exhaustive fact finding study and also appoint a commission to investigate the modalities of illegal mining and fix responsibility on individuals within the government and outside.

The petition further urged the court to direct both the state and the Central government to take appropriate action to ensure stoppage of all illegal mining activities in concerned areas and direct prosecution of the perpetrators of these activities who had violated the provisions of MMDR Act and Forest Conservation Act.