Mine monitoring system may be integrated with commercial tax dept

After deciding to integrate railway freight data with the Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System (i3MS), the online data verification and permit generation software for mineral transports, the steel and mines department now plans to integrate the software with the commercial tax department.

“By June 1, the integration with the Railways will be completed wherein information on mineral transported from Odisha will be cross verified in real-time. Efforts are now being taken to integrate i3MS with the commercial tax department on verification of sale value of the mineral,” said Manoj Ahuja, former secretary of steel & mines department in a letter addressed to all the district collectors, deputy directors of mines and police superintendents on implementation of the i3MS project. The mines department has pulled its socks to check massive irregularities detected in mineral transports. Apart from suspending several mines, citing non-availability of statutory clearances, the department started the i3MS project two years ago to verify the mineral extraction and transport information obtained from miners with data obtained from the railways, ports and now, tax departments.

The government has also expressed its desire to minimize truck transportation of iron ore and other minerals, suspecting that the truckers often bypass authorized routes to avoid paying taxes and other duties. As a measure, it has started giving out truck transport permits through the software, which reads the barcode stickers attached to the trucks, which are measured on an electronic weighing machine at mineral bearing areas. The government also maintained that only registered trucks will be permitted to carry the mineral from mines to ports or steel plants.

“As on date, 16,000 trucks have been registered and the approval process is due for completion by May 31. Thereafter, the e-pass can be generated for valid trucks,” the letter stated. As per current procedure, the miners have to first apply for road transportation of minerals for exports and domestic purpose and then registered truck users can be permitted to carry the minerals. The truck owners association have complained that though the miners are applying for road transport for the purpose of exports, the mines directorate office is denying their pleas without any reason.

For the last three days, truck owners from mineral rich district Keonjhar have blocked rail movements of minerals from the area, seeking ease on restrictions imposed on movement of ore through trucks.