Odisha govt faces heat in assembly over mine mapping work

Clash with ruling party members ultimately resulted in walkout by Congress legislators

The state government on Monday faced heat in the assembly over the controversial issue of mapping of mine lease boundaries with the Opposition Congress alleging that the DGPS (differential global positioning system) survey has exposed the state’s complicity in loot of minerals.

The clash with the ruling party members ultimately resulted in walkout by the Congress legislators.

Initiating an adjournment motion on the matter, Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das said, “The latest DGPS survey has proved that mine leaseholders have violated many statutory provisions. It has also exposed the irregularities committed by the state government. The state government has not been able to ensure effective implementation of mining laws like Mineral Concession Rules (MCR)-1960 and Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) MMDR Act-1957. There has been rampant extraction and loot of minerals.” “The state government engaged expensive lawyers to cover up its faults. Maps of mining leases were not prepared according to guidelines due to pressure from mine owners. Boundary survey was not done by Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) except for a few leases. The work was outsourced to Hyderabad-based Geotrax Ltd. Moreover, the surveyed boundary maps were not authenticated by the revenue department,” he said.

Das urged the assembly speaker Pradeep Amat to issue a ruling for a CBI probe into the matter.

Echoing similar views, Opposition chief whip and senior Congress leader Prasad Harichandan said, “Mine owners have encroached beyond their leasehold area to raise ores. It has been proved that mineral loot was carried out on a massive scale and continued for years. Discrepancies have been found when DGPS maps were superimposed on geo-referenced cadastral maps. Now, the state government needs to answer if the maps initially prepared by it are erroneous.”

Steel & mines minister Rajani Kant Singh said, “The allegations levelled in the topic for adjournment motion are not true since the survey work of mine lease boundaries is still ongoing. As per the directions given by Justice M B Shah (heading Shah Commission of enquiry), a joint survey and demarcation work is being taken up to ascertain if mine owners have encroached their lease area.”