State seizes minerals worth Rs 68 cr in Jul-Sep period

The state steel and mines department seized over nine lakh tonne minerals having market value over Rs 68 crore during July and September, most of which were seized from storage areas belonging to forest land.

The mines department recovered 870,082 tonne major minerals from storage areas built on forest land, having a market value of Rs 44.77 crore. During the seizure operation in similar types, it captured 6,890 tonne of minor minerals, worth Rs 22 crore.

According to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, the list of major minerals include iron ore, bauxite, coal, chromite and manganese ores, while lime stone, dolomite, brick earth and sands used for special purpose are termed as minor minerals.

From the raids conducted at different storage areas, the state got Rs 42 lakh as penalty after the seizure, according to a government letter sent to Union Ministry of Mines.

The mining and mineral monitoring team also captured 40,723 tonne of major minerals worth Rs 8.37 lakh while they were transported illegally in July-September quarter and received Rs 20.14 lakh as penalty. During raids at mining excavation sites, the state government sleuths seized 259 tonne of major minerals at forest and non-forest sites, valued at Rs 2.6 lakh. It also captured minor minerals worth Rs 2.2 lakh from excavation sites and in total, levied Rs 42 lakh as penalty for minerals seized at the mining sites.

In the seizure process, the steel and mines department captured the vehicles used in the process of storage and transportation, worth Rs 54.72 lakh. In a separate development, Joda police on Sunday captured two iron ore carrying vehicles for transporting the mineral illegally and arrested the drivers in the same case. The government has instructed tight monitoring of mineral trading and transportation business ahead of the visit of illegal mining investigating agency M B Shah Commission, sources said.