Orissa mulls online mine royalty payment facility

To bring in transparency in the scam-tainted mining business, the state Steel and Mines department is planning to start online payment of mining royalty on its website www.orissaminerals.gov.in.

“We are looking forward to incorporate facility for online payment of royalty in the website. We are waiting for the completion of SSL payment gateway software application purchase deal and after that royalties can be paid online,” said S K Das, director, state department of geology and mines. He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Society of Geoscientists and Allied Technologists (SGAT) at Barbil recently.

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly-used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the internet and is widely used in web enabled financial transaction applications. It allows communication between two computers which prevent outside interference.

The department has already started e-payment of returns in form E, F and H by the licensees from June this year in Joda mining circle. It will be implemented state-wide very soon, Das informed.

The state government has also decided to issue e-permit pass with barcode mark on it to check illegal movement and trade of resources. It will be started in Joda area as a pilot project, said the director while presenting a key note paper in the seminar.

Currently transport passes with hologram mark are issued as permits.

The department has completed the digitalization of 70 per cent of total mine lease areas with the help of Orissa Space Application Center (ORSAC) and is in the process of superimposing the satellite imageries on the survey area map, Das said.

Orissa has 600 mines of iron ore, manganese, chromite, bauxite, coal and lime stone, out of which only 128 mines are operating at present. Activities in rest of the mines have been suspended in the absence of necessary clearances.