Orissa to move HC soon on RBT case

The state government will soon move the Orissa High Court challenging the order of a Central tribunal that had set aside the order of the government on refusing mining lease to the scam tainted miner Ram Bahadur Thakur Ltd (RBTL)

“We have held discussions with the Advocate General on the matter. The state government will soon challenge the order of the Central tribunal in the RBTL case,” said a top official source.

Last month, the state steel & mines minister Raghunath Mohanty had said that state government will challenge the decision of the revision authority either in the Orissa High Court or in the Supreme Court. Justifying the government's decision to refuse mining lease in favour of RBT, he had pointed out that the company was not granted the mining lease as it had no forest clearance and had also not submitted the mining plan.

Besides the State Vigilance, the the steel & mines department had conducted an administrative enquiry into the issue. In a blow to the state government, the Central tribunal had recently quashed its order in the RBTL case, stating that the order was drawn under influence and was prejudged. The order of the state government was not a speaking order and there has been non-application of mind, the tribunal said.

The tribunal stated that the only allegation made by the state government against RBTL or its power of attorney holder Shakti Ranjan Dash is in the FIR and the FIR is only an information and not an inference or verification of facts.

“There is no allegation whatsoever against Dash or RBTL with respect to illegal mining. The allegations in the showcause notice served on RBTL and conclusions given in the impugned order of the state government do not appear to be in sync with or natural consequence of the events precedent thereto. They remain isolated to themselves and in contradiction to stand taken before the Orissa High Court an consequent compliance of its orders,” the tribunal said in its order.

Faced with a barrage of criticism over the alleged involvement of RBTL in illegal mining activities, the state government had refused mining lease for the company in its order dated July 20 last year.

The case of alleged illegal mining by RBT was in the eye of a storm two years back with the Opposition political parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cornering the ruling government on the issue.