Report on illegal transportation of ores by month-end

The Orissa government has asked the panel formed to suggest long term measures for checking illegal transportation of ores using railway network to submit its report by April 30.

The panel was constituted to study the entire system of transportation of ores by the Railways to different destinations including to ports for export. The panel would firm up the procedures to be put in place to check illegal transportation of ores from mining belt.

This was decided in a high level meeting chaired by chief secretary Tarunkanti Mishra at the state secretariat today.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Ashok Dalwai, secretary, steel and mines department of the Orissa government said, the committee is headed by G C Ray, Commissioner (rail co-ordination)- special secretary, commerce and transport department.

It has chief commercial manager (freight services) of the east coast railway, director mines, one additional secretary in the steel and mines department and deputy chairman of Paradeep Port Trust (PPT) as members.  Since the panel would examine the existing laws, changes required and their integration with the existing laws, more time is required for submission of the report.

Today’s meeting deliberated on movement of mineral ore through railway network.

The railway authorities agreed to enforce the interim measures immediately as agreed in a meeting convened by the Union mines secretary, Shanta S Nair in New Delhi on April 12.

As per the decision, the rake allotment would be considered by the railway authorities only after the forwarding note or indent is signed by an official of the Railways and a representative of the state mines department.

Since a mining lease (ML) holder or the trade licensee is allowed to transport minerals, the strict verification of indent would help in checking illegal transportation. After the allotment of rakes, the consigner would be asked to produce the transit pass (TP) issued by the mines department official during the practical movement of the ore.

He said, the Railways wouldn’t allow the movement of ore from the stockyard without a valid TP. While a copy of the TP would be maintained by the lessee, another copy would be submitted to the railway authorities at the railway sidings for verification.

The railway authorities would keep a photo copy of the TP submitted to them and sent the original copy to the mines department. Similarly, the port authorities were advised to verify the transit pass strictly.

On the issue of the introduction of new transit pass with hologram, Dalwai said, the tender floated by the directorate of printing press has been stayed. So the government has introduced the watermark paper for transit pass from April 1. He said, 48 persons were arrested in connection with the illegal transportation of ores and the investigations are continuing in this regard.