Odisha exchequer facing losses due to BJD govt, mine owners nexus: BJP MP

Odisha BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi has claimed that the state's exchequer was suffering losses to the tune of crores of rupees due to the BJD government's "unholy nexus with mine owners".

Sarangi, a bureaucrat-turned-BJP politician, claimed that the state government "downgraded" the quality of iron ore being produced in some mines auctioned recently.

Insisting that a big scam has been pulled off, the Bhubaneswar MP, during a press meet on Monday, said the ratio of low-grade iron ore in 2019-2020 was valued at 23 per cent; it increased to 95 per cent in 2021-2022.

"This would not have been possible without connivance between the government and the mine owners," she said.

Earlier, Justice MB Shah Commission, during its probe into illegal mining, had detected losses of Rs 59,000 crore, causing a flutter in the state, she said.

It was expected that the situation would change for better after that. The scale of irregularities, however, have only increased with time," the MP said.

Rejecting the allegations, Odisha's steel and mines minister PK Mallick said that the Centre had lauded Odisha's mine management.

The state has earned Rs 50,000 crore as mining revenue, he noted.

"If the MP has any doubt, she should either contact the mines ministry or the prime minister for clarification," the minister added.